Walk Around the Moon is the tenth studio album by the American rock band Dave Matthews Band. It was released on May 19, 2023 through RCA Records. Recording primarily took place from August 2020 to September 2022; the track "Break Free" dates back to 2006.
| Walk Around the Moon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 19, 2023 | |||
| Recorded | 2006, August 2020–September 2022 | |||
| Studio | Haunted Hallow Studio (Charlottesville, Virginia), The Mill, The Rhino Room, Hill House, The Village, Electro Kitty, The Church, Studio Zen 3000 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 42:42 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Producer | Rob Evans · John Alagía · Mark Batson | |||
| Dave Matthews Band chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Walk Around the Moon | ||||
| ||||
The band's first studio album since Come Tomorrow (2018); it is their first release to feature keyboardist Arthur "Buddy" Strong.
The album was a commercial success, reaching the top 5 in the U.S.
Background
editWork started during the COVID-19 pandemic, with recording sessions taking place with limited band members at a time at the band's Haunted Hollow Studio in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Seven of the 12 tracks on Walk Around the Moon were played live prior to the official album announcement on January 24, 2023. "Break Free" has been played going back to 2006.[1]
At 42 minutes and 42 seconds long, Walk Around the Moon is the band's shortest album to date.
Commercial performance
editWalk Around the Moon debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200, the first album of theirs not to debut at number one since 1996's Crash while selling 44,000 album-equivalent units in the first week, of which 40,000 were pure album sales. It is Dave Matthews Band's 14th US top-10 album.[2]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Walk Around the Moon" |
| 4:49 |
| 2. | "Madman's Eyes" |
| 4:48 |
| 3. | "Looking for a Vein" |
| 2:44 |
| 4. | "The Ocean and the Butterfly" |
| 3:05 |
| 5. | "It Could Happen" |
| 2:46 |
| 6. | "Something to Tell My Baby" | Matthews | 2:32 |
| 7. | "After Everything" |
| 2:47 |
| 8. | "All You Wanted Was Tomorrow" |
| 3:50 |
| 9. | "The Only Thing" |
| 4:42 |
| 10. | "Break Free" |
| 4:08 |
| 11. | "Monsters" |
| 3:33 |
| 12. | "Singing from the Windows" | Matthews | 2:58 |
| Total length: | 42:42 | ||
Personnel
editDave Matthews Band
- Carter Beauford – drums (1–2, 4–5, 7–11), background vocals (1–2, 7–9), cabasa (1), tambourine (9)
- Jeff Coffin – tenor and baritone saxophone (1–2, 7–10), tárogató (2), soprano saxophone (4)
- Stefan Lessard – bass (1–2, 5, 7–10), Moog Taurus pedals (2), upright bass (4)
- Dave Matthews – vocals, acoustic guitar (2–6, 8–9, 11–12), electric guitar (1–3, 5, 7, 9), background vocals (1–2, 5, 7, 9, 11), Wurlitzer (1, 3, 5), synthesizer (1, 3), piano (1, 5), Mellotron and nylon string guitar (1), tambourine and electric sitar (2), bass and loops (3), organ (6), baritone guitar (10)
- Tim Reynolds – electric guitar (1–2, 4–5, 7–11), 12-string acoustic guitar and backwards guitar (2), nylon string guitar (5), dobro (8), acoustic guitar (9)
- Rashawn Ross – trumpet (1–2, 4, 7–10), bass trumpet and background vocals (1–2, 7–9), flugelhorn (1, 5, 9)
- Buddy Strong – Hammond B3 organ (1–2, 5, 7–10), background vocals (1–2, 7–9), piano (1, 5, 8), Wurlitzer (2, 4, 7, 9), Moog One (5, 7, 9), vocals (7), Rhodes (8), clavinet (9)
Additional musicians
- John Alagía – arpeggio guitar (5, 10), background vocals (10–11), electric 12-string guitar and synthesizer (5), drum programming, ebow, slide, electric guitar, and Hammond B3 organ (11)
- Mark Batson – Hammond B3 organ, piano, and Rhodes (10), Moog bass (11)
- Charlie Bisharat – violin (2)
- Jacob Braun – cello (2)
- David Campbell – conductor and string arrangement (2)
- Susan Chatman – violin (2)
- Giovanna Clayton – cello (2)
- Mario De Leon – violin (2)
- Amie Doherty – string arrangement (6)
- Andrew Duckles – viola (2)
- Thomas Evans – trombone (2)
- Alma Fernandez – viola (2)
- Joe Fotheringham – trumpet (5)
- Maria Grigoryeva – viola (6), violin (6)
- Thomas Harte, Jr. – double bass (2)
- Paula Hochhalter – cello (2)
- Nick Hodges – ambient guitar (5)
- Julie Jung – cello (2)
- Suzie Katayama – violin (2)
- Oliver Kraus – cello, string arrangement, viola, and violin (5)
- Marisa Kuney – violin (2)
- Ana Landauer – violin (2)
- Luke Maurer – viola (2)
- Natalia Nazarova – cello (6)
- Alyssa Park – violin (2)
- Sara Parkins – violin (2)
- Kerenza Peacock – violin (2)
- Michele Richards – violin (2)
- Teresa Stanislav – violin (2)
- Jennifer Takamatsu – violin (2)
- Josefina Vergara – violin (2)
- Rodney Wirtz – viola (2)
Technical personnel
- John Alagía – engineer (5, 10–11), producer (7, 9, 11), co-producer (10)
- Justin Armstrong – engineer (7, 9)
- Mark Batson – producer (10)
- Ethan Bovey – assistant engineer (6, 9)
- Mayk Brambilla – cover art
- Billy Centenaro – engineer (10)
- Steve Churchyard – engineer (2)
- Rob Evans – engineer (2–12), producer (3–9, 12)
- Peter Hanaman – engineer (2)
- Oliver Kraus – engineer (5)
- Chris Kress – engineer (10)
- Alisse Laymac – engineer (10)
- JC LeResche – assistant engineer (2, 11)
- Steve Miller – engineer (10)
- Jeff Moxley – engineer (11)
Charts
edit| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[3] | 98 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[4] | 57 |
| US Billboard 200[2] | 5 |
References
edit- ^ Hudson, Alex (January 24, 2023). "Dave Matthews Band Announce New Album Walk Around the Moon". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (May 28, 2023). "Morgan Wallen's One Thing at a Time Has Most Weeks at No. 1 for a Country Album in Over 30 Years". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Dave Matthews Band – Walk Around the Moon". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 27, 2023.