Matchbox Twenty

American rock band, Matchbox Twenty (originally spelled and still sometimes known as Matchbox 20) have been running on the momentum from their blockbuster album North, released on September 4th via Atlantic Records. Their singles "She's So Mean", "Overjoyed" and now "Our Song" have all been smashes. The band had plenty to celebrate on the road: not only did North mark their first ever chart-topper and No. 1 debut, but it was also the band's first album together in ten years.

"There's something that we can do when the four of us are together that we can't do alone," frontman Rob Thomas told Billboard.com recently. "We're proud of the things that we did when we were away from the band, but it wasn't the same thing."

Formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995, the group's members include Rob Thomas (lead vocals, piano), Paul Doucette (drums, rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Kyle Cook (lead guitar, backing vocals), Brian Yale (bass guitar), and touring drummer Stacy Jones (drums). They rose to international fame with their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You (1996), which was certified diamond in the United States and multi-platinum in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Their second album, Mad Season, released in 2000, charted in the top three on the Billboard 200 and was certified 4× platinum in the United States. Their third album, More Than You Think You Are, released in 2002, was certified double platinum in the United States. However, it was not as successful as the previous two albums, despite its singles receiving significant airplay. The band then went on hiatus in 2004, with rhythm guitarist Adam Gaynor leaving the band in 2005 after performing on the first three studio albums. As a result, Paul Doucette took over rhythm guitar, and the band reunited and released a compilation album, Exile on Mainstream, in 2007, which was certified gold in the United States. After the release, former Push Stars drummer Ryan MacMillan filled Doucette's vacated drum spot. During this period, Rob Thomas embarked on a successful solo career. Matchbox Twenty then took another hiatus, but reunited again in 2010.

Lead singer, Rob Thomas and the rest of the band have certainly picked up where they left off. On North, they have spent only the briefest amount of time reckoning with pop trends that have surfaced since their last record (i.e., the disco-rock pulse of "Put Your Hands Up" and a few groove-oriented cuts that betray the influence of Maroon 5). Remarkably, Matchbox 20 have lightened up with age, whittling away any excess and pretension, winding up with their first album that could truly be called pop. It's a big, bright, shiny record anchored with odes to the radio and partying, its few love songs sweet and easy, not tortured.

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