Brent Johnson’s Lost Songs: ‘Spoon’ by Dave Matthews Band

brent johnson digs up another lost treasure, this week from Dave Matthews Band, who bring their summer festival to New York this weekend …

Call them a jam band all you want.

But amid the marathon saxophone solos, dance-inducing drum parts and 22-minute instrumental breakdowns, the music of Dave Matthews Band is really about the songs.

That’s not the case for many of their jam-band contemporaries — where songs are nothing but a vessel for noodling. Matthews, though, has a penchant for penning compact, melodic pop tunes filled with odd rhythmic shifts, spider-like guitar riffs and lyrics that manage to be both cryptic and vivid. The jamming is the garnish — not the entree.

It’s most obvious on their first three records: 1994’s Under The Table And Dreaming, 1996’s Crash and 1998’s Before These Crowded Streets. Every track is distinct, infectious and fully realized.

‘Spoon’ is fine example. The closing track on Streets, it’s not one of DMB’s most known songs, or one they play very often. But it’s anchored by a circular melody and sweet falsetto vocals — with strange words that mix stormy-weather scenes and religious imagery. It’s also a rich recording, with a beautiful banjo solo from Bela Fleck and a pretty vocal cameo from Alanis Morissette.

The strength of Matthews’ songwriting is the reason his songs work so well acoustically. Stripped of instrumental flourish, they stand on their own. You can’t always say the same of Phish.

Of course, one of the most exciting things about DMB is watching how their songs come to life on stage — fleshed out with unexpected intros and winding outros. They’re one of the greatest live acts of all time. And you can catch them this weekend on Randall’s Island in New York.

Matthews & Co. have taken their DMB Caravan festival to four cities this summer. The three-day fest — featuring a string of acts and a set from DMB each night — was scheduled to come to New York’s Governor’s Island at the end of August. But Hurricane Irene led them to cancel all but one of the dates. Now, the band has changed the site, found different guests and rescheduled the dates for this Friday through Sunday. For more information, visit the festival’s website.