Since 1996 — for better and mostly worse — Matchbox Twenty have been the sound of mainstream rock. “3 A.M.” and “Unwell” were huge hits, disguising Rob Thomas’s anxiety — his life is always either in ruins or about to be ruined — within traditionalist songs that foreground the humongous voice of a singer perennially on the verge of chomping into his microphone like it’s a New York sirloin. Exile on Mainstream (the title is a self-effacing joke about their lack of edginess) augments 11 oldies with six new tracks, which move ably between jittery power pop, country, even a little blue-eyed soul. As always, the subject matter is grim, but the sound is sleekly contoured, the key to their 40 million record sales. Unlike other bands that emerged after grunge, Matchbox Twenty know that angst and self-pity go down better when served (as a certain large-lunged lunk once sang) smooth.

Download: “3 A.M.”