That was a long time ago, and despite my steady fascination with the band in the early 90’s, they failed to hold my interest even as I fell deeper and deeper into the “jam band” scene. Their musical pedigree is impeccable: they write their own stuff with aplomb, and they regularly partner with outstanding musicians and producers, but somehow, even with all of that, they just became boring. I don’t begrudge them their successes, but they never took their widening popularity as a mandate to stretch beyond their comfort zone. As their fan base grew, and as they moved from clubs, to amphitheaters, to stadiums, they continued to rely on what put them on the map in the first place, and they soon slipped into self-parody: Boyd’s fiddling became more frenzied and confusing, Leroi’s sax sounded more like “smooth jazz” than jazz, and Dave’s whiny introspection began to grate. As I discovered bands who were willing to take risks and fail in order to achieve those truly transcendent musical moments, DMB’s new stuff just seemed silly, and way too easy – definitely not worth repeated listens anymore.

Truthfully, it’s been a long, long time since I gave Dave Matthews a second thought.

So of course, it’s not surprising that he re-entered my radar as a function of Phish. It had been rumored that Trey was working with Dave and guitarist Tim Reynolds on Dave’s first solo album and much of the Phish community was surprised. When they announced a small tour at the end of the year – pretentiously billed as “An Acoustic and Electric Evening with Dave Matthews and Friends” – there was as little enthusiasm among fans as I’ve ever seen for a Phish side project. M dutifully bought tickets for their tour closer in Oakland in January, and I spent a good deal of time trying to convince him they weren’t worth the money.

But when we saw them play on SNL a few weeks ago I was suddenly intrigued again. The songs were good, even given the time and space constraints of live television. The second song we actually deemed really good, just on one listen alone. Trey looked happy, content just to be “a guy in a band.” Dave was calmer, less theatrical and whiny. Ray Paczkowski – one of the most surprising and subtle keyboardists I’ve ever seen – was grinning behind the keys. The brilliant Tim Reynolds was ripping away in the corner. They all came together really well, and – after eight years – I thought Dave was finally worth another listen.

Dave’s new CD, Some Devil does more than bear out the glimpse of greatness we saw on SNL. It is by far one of the best studio albums I’ve heard in years – a carefully rendered departure from everything I can’t stand about Dave Matthews, and a welcome re-visioning of what I used to love. Dave teamed with an eclectic cast: aside from Trey and Tim, he worked with Brady Blade (Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle), Tony Hall (Bob Dylan), and producer/multi-instrumentalist Stephen Harris. Whether these folks offered him active suggestions, provided inspiration, or just gave him a chance to break out of the DMB patterns, their contributions are remarkable. They add intelligence and nuance and intricacy to each song; the production value of the entire album is stunning, at once familiar and challenging. It’s as pretty on headphones as it is in the car.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to have made either side of the aisle happy. DMB fans have called the record boring, insisting the songs need the DMB “treatment,” making me cringe to think of these beauties overwritten by the frenetic scrambles of Boyd or Leroi. Phish fans are hardly giving the record a chance. It’s too bad that no one seems to be accepting the record on its own merits, because it has many. The album begins with the graceful, lilting “Dodo,” anchored by a pretty guitar line from Trey, and featuring the usually raucous Dirty Dozen Brass Band as a surprisingly mellow textural element. The album progresses from there at a deliberate, measured pace; while some songs (“So Damn Lucky” and “Gravedigger”) build to buoyant climaxes, they’re not startling or out of place. Indeed, the final rendering of the chorus in “So Damn Lucky” – with Trey’s trademark noodling echoing over an entire orchestra of strings – has a depth and a lightness to it that’s just glorious.

The melodious “Trouble” anchors the first half of the album, and serves to underline the difference between Dave Matthews solo and Dave Matthews Band. The five players on this song – all outstanding individual musicians capable of breathtaking solos – are so cohesive as a group that they deliver the song as one warm rush of sound. Dave has toned down his vocal theatrics and sings with a genuine passion devoid of whine or trickery. It’s a haunting, lovely, plaintive song – as good a ballad as I’ve ever heard from Matthews.

Trey’s major contribution “Grey Blue Eyes,” a short, atmospheric piece, is a pretty interlude for the middle of the album, and segues nicely into the gospel-tinged “Save Me.” While the second half of the album isn’t quite as strong as the first few songs, it still hangs together well. “Up And Away” in particular highlights the outstanding production: Dave, Tim, and Trey all play guitar on the piece, yet you can distinguish each individual style and understand exactly what each guitarist intends to add to the piece. (As a note, out of all of the songs, I’m most excited to see this one live.) The last song on the album (outside of a somewhat superfluous acoustic rendering of “Gravedigger”) is the groovy, orchestral “Too High,” whose odd melodic twists finish the album in a manner that’s both resolute and questioning: not the expected pretty package, but something much more interesting and satisfying nonetheless.

Ultimately – as with all music I love – the proof of this album will most likely rest in their live performance in January. At the tour closer, I’ll expect them to have worked out any performance kinks and have decided on some interesting and challenging covers, hopefully not too many DMB glory songs just for the audience reaction. Trey and Tim are two of the most outstanding rock guitarists playing today, and I’d love to see them work with each other and build from the beautiful base of solid songwriting Dave has laid out on the album. With Paczkowski in the mix, I expect even more: he’s an amazing and responsive listener, making him a stunning improvisationalist. As long as I’m not surrounded by sullen Phish fans or yapping, clapping Chipsters, I’ll be happy though. At least I’m finally convinced the tickets are worth the money.