3 Songs That Sound Like Dave Matthews but Actually Aren’t

Dave Matthews has a distinct sound. But that doesn’t mean some have tried to emulate or even mimic it over the course of the past few decades. Matthews, who perhaps has done more for the acoustic guitar and jam bands in the past 30 years than anyone else, helped spurn so many other acoustic-driven groups. In many ways the Hall of Fame rockers were a subgenre of music’s north star.

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Here below, we wanted to explore three songs from three different artists that sound like they could have been written or performed by Matthews and his band. A trio of tracks that very much resemble his pleasant, generous style. Indeed, these are three songs that sound like Dave Matthews but actually aren’t.

[RELATED: Tim Reynolds Talks Guitars, Dave Matthews, and How Music Transports Him]

“Your Body Is a Wonderland” by John Mayer from Room for Squares (2001)

There is something bouncy and yet mildly off-kilter about the song’s rhythm that reminds of a tune Dave Matthews might write. Also, singer John Mayer bends his words and makes them almost elastic as he sings just as Matthews does. It’s clear Mayer is influenced by the “Crash Into Me” singer and it’s one of those moments when you imitate your heroes before you make it on your own. On this early single from Mayer, he sings,

We got the afternoon
You got this room for two
One thing I’ve left to do
Discover me
Discovering you

One mile to every inch of
Your skin like porcelain
One pair of candy lips and
Your bubblegum tongue

“Yellow” by Coldplay from Parachutes (2000)

This was the second single Coldplay released from their debut album in the UK and the first in the United States. So, for many fans, this was their introduction to what would become one of the biggest bands in the world. And when “Yellow” hit the radio, many DMB fans thought Coldplay lead vocalist Chris Martin was doing his best Dave Matthews karaoke impression. Acoustic-driven, falsetto, and heartfelt, the song could easily be a Matthews tune. And on it, Martin sings, projecting his voice,

Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And everything you do
Yeah, they were all yellow

I came along
I wrote a song for you
And all the things you do
And it was called “Yellow”

“Flake” by Jack Johnson from Brushfire Fairytales (2002)

Jack Johnson broke in the early 2000s thanks to file sharing sites like Napster. Among his “class” were artists like O.A.R., Guster, Dispatch, and Howie Day. Often performing with rousing acoustics and singing with emotion about love, these bands could jam on songs for 10-20 minutes if they so chose. And it all bore so much resemblance to Matthews and his crew, which broke in the early 1990s. On “Flake,” Johnson gives off a mellow vibe that also recalls his sonic forefather. On the song, Johnson sings,

I know she said it’s alright
But you can make it up next time
I know she knows it’s not right
There ain’t no use in lying

Maybe she thinks I know something
Maybe maybe she thinks it’s fine
Maybe she knows something I don’t
I’m so, I’m so tired, I’m so tired of trying

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