Today I was bored, listened to the song "Disease" that came out back in 2004 and decided to give this album a shot so I listened to every song on the album and it was one of the greatest albums I ever heard! Every song is brilliant and catchy...if you like rock music I defiently recommend this album! Matchbox Twenty has made my favorite artists list thanks to this album and I will defiently be checking out more of thier albums.

Matchbox Twenty has been commonly described as one of the popular adult alternative bands who first broke through in the late '90s when modern rock wasn't yet as diverse as rock can get. The Florida quintet's sound is spirited and thought-provoking; their first hit and fantastic example of trying to write songs in someone else's shoes, "Push", has nearly the same qualities as the thumping "How Far We've Come" despite twelve years' time difference. They might have a few changes and different genre crossovers, but they're identifiable and still immensely talented. This happens to be the only CD of theirs I've listened to in full, but I've heard enough of others to know that this is more or less what you'd expect from them, maybe with fewer ballads--but with a band as good as this, that's a breath of relief. They can make whatever the want by me, as long as they stay this awesome.

Lead singer Rob Thomas has this powerful voice and southern accent that really grew on me. He's lashing out with a sonic whip on the rollicking ride "Disease" (co-written with the legendary Mick Jagger), then soothing listeners with the beautiful piano-driven single "Bright Lights", and pleading with a touch of despair and honest confusion towards his failing relationship in "Cold". Plus he writes pop lyrics that are catchy and publicly well-received without making them corny or unoriginal. They're clever, but people still understand and like them, which is an element sorely lacking in most modern contemporary music. In "All I Need", he snaps "Talk like that won't get you nowhere / Everybody's trusting in the heart like the heart don't lie" in one deep breath.

More Than You Think You Are is a very slick and well-produced album, and a lot of the cuts here would be great whether or not they were done by this one great band. "Downfall" would be flawless if not for the choir, which distracts from the classic rocking vibe that was set in its beginning. It really seemed out-of-place among the banging guitars and acerbic libretto going on. The latter half of the song is really the only thing I didn't particularly like, but my feelings on it will probably evolve, as I still love the rest of the song. The bonus track uses some of the Latin rhythms the band has commonly utilized.

With all due respect, though, Matchbox Twenty has made a great album here. They do as well on the slow songs as on the quicker ones, a couple good examples being "Could I Be You" and "Hand Me Down", which are both numbing, heartbreaking, and stunning whether they were supposed to be or not. I like all I've heard from them, interrupting choirs and southern drawl or not, because it's the kind of sound you can generally come to accept after a few listens. Overall the CD is a big success, and worth getting, whether you're a fan or not. Well done, Matchbox Twenty.

This just may be the best album to come from a 90's band, although, it's kind of funny to say that when 2 out of their 3 released albums hit record stores after 2000. Nonetheless, they are a band from the 90's. They are a band that took rock music and said "let's have fun with it" but at the same time "we're gonna wear our hearts in our throats!" Not ever overdramatic (see Creed, Nickelback, or any of the bands that are an exact fingerprint of them), Matchbox Twenty still manages to pinpoint on all the dramatics of a relationship. Thomas is at his best when writing a hook. Take the first single on here: "Disease." Some don't like it. I do. Why? I remember the first time I ever heard it and thought to myself, "What is going on with this instrumentation/rhythm. I couldn't get a sense of where the beat was with the guitar slipping in and out. So I counted it out (as any musician would) and came to see how irregular his beat was inside a common time signature. I was hooked. No pun intended. "Bright Lights" moves into a different territory. He's dealing with a relationship's death due to a dream followed. Now, as much as I don't agree with his plea for her to "come back home," I can understand his yearning and his sadness, because for some reason, Thomas can write these lyrics that really get to you. "Unwell" is a bonafide MB20 hit. The hook is great, the lyrics maybe his best. "All night, hearing voices telling me that I should get some sleep because tomorrow might be good for something. Hold on, feeling like I'm headed for a breakdown." I have felt this; this feeling of going crazy after a breakup. It is horrible, and Thomas outlines each feeling with such color and darkness. Moving into "Cold" is exactly what it sounds like. This is a cold, hard song, and for me it was a hard sell, because it was so much darker in music tone and atmosphere than Thomas usually creates with his music. However, now it is a stand-out with some very inventive harmonies. "Hand Me Down" a Kleenex please. This is for anyone whoever felt like they weren't good enough for someone. This is by far wins the awards for "most strings pulled on out of the heart." Thomas may not write lyrics that reveal some new uncharted territory of the soul, heart or mind, but with this song, he cements his position as understanding it as well as anyone, and emoting it better than anyone. It helps that he never hides behind any shadows either. The last four tracks on the album are pure fun! Of course they still have the Thomas trademark of emotional disbursement, especially on "Downfall" in which at first we hear just another great rock song, but soon hear the faint strains of a Gospel Choir break out into a full-out Gospel-covered alteration of the same tune. At that moment, I thought to myself, "Hmmm, Rob Thomas could be a genius." It's sad that Rob Thomas is the only one writing such great rock music anymore. Were there 5 or 6 bands out there with originallity such as his, radio would be worth listening to. Until then, I'll XM or iPod all my music so I can tune out Nickelback without turning the station. Rob Thomas has earned his place as the best rock musician to emerge from the 90's. Thank God for him. Thank God.

I listen to this CD all the time in the car...great vocals and songs that one can relate to. All aroung great music.

Matchbox Twenty finally released their third Mainstream album back in late 2002. MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE was another breakthrough for not just pop rock, but for Matchbox Twenty themselves. The record was a major progression in the band's sound and it is a great display of how the members have matured as musicians. Its obvious that the band was in search for and paid a lot of attention in creating melodies and perfect harmonies for each piece of this record. Keyboards are a major tool in reaching this desired affect for each song, and the guitar also has a lot more recognizable melody lines. The drums are not overpowering and are mainly their for keeping time and giving effects for particular songs. The bass is a melodic filler but is in the catagory of creating sanorities for the band. Chord progressions are still very simple, but the way they're performed is amazing. Rob Thomas has also clearly matured as a singer and pays a lot of attention in creating melodic phrasing and motives. All of these aspects gained the band tons of attention in dealing with airplay, performances, and in promotions. MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE is an amazing piece of work and is beyond doubt worth of being nomminated for several grammies. It is a must have for any music collection.

Stand out tracks include:
"Feel"
"Disease"
"Unwell"
"Downfall"
"The Difference"