by Sam Beresky
Daily Lobo
After reading the press kit on Maroon 5, one thing is very apparent - this band has a ton of hype surrounding it like a big hunk of Velveeta.
Somebody is really pushing to get this five-piece band some recognition.
The first single, "Harder to Breathe," is getting a lot of adult-contemporary radio exposure. Stars like John Mayer are saying Maroon 5 is "one of the best bands to come along in awhile."
Their first album, Songs about Jane, has shipped nearly 100,000 units and the band toured with John Mayer and the Counting Crows. Maroon 5 has also been on "Last Call with Carson Daily" and "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn."
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So with all of that hype, is there a foundation? Do they deserve the attention? Well, not quite yet.
Some listeners may have heard that first single, "Harder to Breathe," on their favorite radio station and said to themselves "This is pretty good. I can sing it." The song is enjoyable. There are some aspects of mellow, soulful rockers like Train, John Mayer - maybe even a little Stevie Wonder or Jamiroquai. The track has a good rock meets R&B sound and is predictable enough to get radio play.
The second song, "This Love," is a happier version of the first with a great backbeat reminiscent of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition." It might make a foot tap, a head nod or even a booty shake if played at a loud volume.
"Shiver," the third song on the album retains the good R&B beat but has a slower, guitar-driven sound that is pleasant and might make a person all warm and fuzzy deep down inside.
So three decent, singable songs by a bunch of white kids from Hollywood - the album could be pretty good...or not.
Songs About Jane falls apart at song number four and never recovers.
"She Will Be Loved" drops the good R&B and adds a healthy dose of cheese. Damn, if there was a Green Chile Cheeseburger with half as much cheese as this song we would all be in heaven.
Cheese on a cheeseburger is good. Cheese from Maroon 5 is bad. The band can't pull it off. It is a very predictable, tear jerking, slow, love-song that would make any Train or Matchbox 20 fan cry in a good, healthy way.
But when the lead singer Adam Levine sweetly, touchingly belts out the lines "Look for the girl with the broken smile/Ask her if she wants to stay awhile/and she will be loved/she will be loved," the rest of society might cry in that "I'm in pain" way. The song is way too sappy and just plain bad.
Maybe with a few more albums under their belts, Maroon 5 will deserve the hype it is getting now. All the band members are all talented musicians and Levine's voice is sweet and strong enough to get them by.
They have success infusing bland rock with some good R&B and classic funk, but only on three songs. Three good, grooving songs and nine goopy, predictable songs do not make a good album.
