Victoria Times Colonist

Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King has emotion on its side -- saxophonist LeRoi Moore, whose playing and spirit define the album, died unexpectedly last year -- but power, restraint, joy and foot-stomping goodness are also part of the band's strongest set of songs in almost a decade.

That it was produced by Rob Cavallo (of Green Day fame) helps wake Matthews and his bandmates from their collective slumber, although nothing here sounds like an awkward stretch. Matthews sings beautifully and writes purposefully (the spirit of Moore pops up often), and his longtime bandmates match his fire. Big Whiskey swings and zings like a natural extension of Crash and Before These Crowded Streets. By any yardstick, that's a very good thing.

Rating: 4 out of 5