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Written by Dan MacIntosh
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Monday, 02 July 2007 |
 Maroon 5
It Won’t Be Soon Before Long
A&M/Octone
B
I’m not sure if I get the whole Maroon 5 thing. They’re popular with the young ladies no doubt, in the same way Backstreet Boys -- and the like -- were all the rage back during the boy band heyday. But this quintet plays its own instruments and poses like polished-looking rockers in front of a giant neon letter “M” on the cover of this disc.
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Is a boy band by any other name still a boy band? Or is this some new genre hybrid? Or is it little more than a boyish band, nothing more? The jury’s still out I’m afraid.
Despite their fashion model physiques, however, these handsome fellows still sound marooned on the island of Down In The Dumps -- lyrically at least. “If I never see your face again I don’t mind,” goes the opening kiss-off track, “If I Never See Your Face Again.” They then sing, and doubtfully, “I don’t believe in you anymore” on “Makes Me Wonder.” Next, to make it three bad times for charm, they give us “Wake Up Call.” Driven like a George Michaels acoustic guitar rocker (think “Faith”), this song details the life of a couple with “trouble under the covers.” And with this one the mood gets worse, much worse. When they sing, “I had to shoot him dead/He won’t come around here anymore” it’s obvious these youngsters have graduated from innocent boys to deadly men. These mean spirited words ain’t just fightin’ words; they’re killin’ words.
Maroon 5 also mixes in a few positive emotions along with this CD’s aforementioned gunplay, however. “Back At Your Door” is an old school ballad; a song not hard to imagine as a doo-wop vocal workout. The strangely named “Kiwi” is a lusty sex-capade, which also sports a big, semi-metal electric guitar solo for no particularly reason. “Better That We Break,” by the way, is this disc’s one true ballad.
The sound of this recording mostly brings ‘80s pop-rock to mind. It’s a little bit like INXS fronted by Sting. Unfortunately, it’s a little to close to The Police for comfort at times, especially during “Not Falling Apart.” The song brazenly steals Sting’s “Every Breath You Take” bass line. If the term ‘The Police’ described the trio’s profession, in addition being the group’s name, they’d likely have Maroon 5 arrested for undeniable groove theft.
If you don’t listen too closely to this album’s consistent lyrical negativism, the songs on “It Won’t Be Soon Before Long” all add up to a relatively pleasant listening experience. The singing is tight and the soft R&B rhythms are consistently memorable. Hipsters may have trouble admitting that they like what they hear. But if they’re honest with themselves, they’ll reluctantly admit Maroon 5 is more than just five pretty faces. Spit it out, you in the cool places. Maroon 5 is really a band!
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