After selling some 12 million copies of their first release, Yourself or Someone Like You, it’s surprising that Matchbox Twenty waited nearly four years before releasing their sophomore follow up, Mad Season. But as it turns out the gap didn’t hurt either their songwriting or their sales as this release went platinum many times over on the strength of these 13 radio-friendly tunes. Featuring catchy melodies, sharp riffs, and lots of big choruses, this album is a bit brighter and more dynamic than their guitar-crunching debut, with more keyboards and even some horns thrown in for texture. The real constant is Rob Thomas’ rich voice, which is truly the band’s calling card and the sound around which these songs, most of which Thomas wrote, are based. A consummate mainstream arena rock singer, he’s smooth in all the right spots on the ballads and husky and driving on the rockers, and he can belt out a tune without going overboard with contrived emotion. A solid collection of modern rock done well. This Deluxe Version contains four bonus tracks.