by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Under the Table and Dreaming, the Dave Matthews Band's first major-label album, was their popular breakthrough, bringing their mildly eclectic sound to a mass audience. Although the group appeals to the same audience as Blues Traveler, Hootie & the Blowfish, and the Spin Doctors, the Dave Matthews Band has more influences than their peers. Fusing together folk-rock, worldbeat, jazz, and pop, the band is arguably the most musically adept of all their contemporaries. However, they have trouble coming up with engaging hooks, as their third album, Crash, proves. Although the band continues to get better -- their musical cross-breeding is effortless and seamless -- they often don't have an attractive frame for their skills. Strangely, the lack of memorable melodies doesn't particularly hurt the album -- it actually emphasizes the band's instrumental talents. Nevertheless, since there's a lack of strong pop hooks, Crash is an album that will please fans, but not novices.