Four extremely underrated 1990s albums by American bands

Dave Matthews Band - Crash (1996)

This album, such as August and Everything After, also sold millions of copies, but like the Counting Crows record, Crash does not get the love now that it should. That might partly be based on the Dave Matthews Band themselves and their concerts. They are fantastic live but tend to play with songs a bit and do not mind jamming around. This changes the tenor of the original songs somewhat.

There must have been something in the water in southeast Virginia in the early-to-mid 1990s because as Cracker formed in Richmond, the Dave Matthews Band was beginning in Charlottesville. Both bands seem to borrow from the scenery around them but don't fall into any specific genre. While Cracker stole a little bit more from country, the Dave Matthews Band took a bit more from jazz. Both bands were rock and pop bands, though.

Crash produced three singles that most people likely know. "Too Much" was released in April, 1996, "So Much to Say" was released in August, 1996, and "Crash" was released in December, 1996. Today, releasing three songs from one album over most of a year would be odd. Record companies want to get as much as they can and as quickly as they can, but the Dave Matthews Band was always more of a slow burn.

Plus, while the singles off of Crash are fantastic, what makes the album special are the lesser-known tracks. "#41" winds its way through different musical topographies making each one that it touches a bit better. "Lie in Our Graves" is tinged with a bit of melancholy but with an ironic air of hope. The entire album is brilliantly conceived, however.

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