Music critics said Matchbox Twenty would not succeed as a band. When the Florida band first burst onto the mainstream rock scene in 1996 with their smash album [Yourself or Someone Like You], the debut was a huge hit with audiences. The perfect mix of rock and ballads was infused with mature lyrics rare for a young band. [Yourself or Someone Like You] produced four hit singles: “Push,” “3AM,” “Real World” and “Back 2 Good.” Music critics wrote off their success as a fluke, predicting they would suffer the dreaded sophomore slump. When four years had gone by without so much as a peep from the band, it seemed the critics were right. Yet in 2000, Matchbox Twenty returned with a new album as well as a new spelling of their name. The group went from Matchbox 20 to Matchbox Twenty. The new CD [Mad Season] was labeled pretentious and overly artsy by the same critics so eager to predict the band’s doom. Fans of the band embraced this new side of Matchbox Twenty. The anger and sadness so prevalent on [Yourself or Someone Like You] were replaced by a seasoned optimism as well as a sense of true love and the pain its loss can bring. While [Mad Season] gave the band only three hits: “Bent,” “If You’re Gone” and “Mad Season,” they survived their second album with the love of their fans intact. When Matchbox Twenty announced they were hard at work on a new album, the critics decided to back off from predicting their demise. The third album from these musical underdogs was destined to be their best. Released in Nov. of 2002, [More Than You Think You Are] is a truly breathtaking mix of music. The first single “Disease” is a return to the intense rock that propelled their first album into the top ten. The rest of the CD features a different sound on every song. The sound is unbalanced during the first time it is listened to; yet, it commands the listener’s attention through each track. Matchbox Twenty maintains the rock that made them famous, and they explore the boundaries of gospel, country and heavy metal. With [More Than You Think You Are], Rob Thomas, Kyle Cook, Adam Gaynor, Brian Vale and Paul Douchette succeed in proving that they are the capable and talented musicians their fans have always believed them to be. The new album can be described as equally inspiring, touching and surprising. Despite what the critics may say, this is the best way to describe the band.