Maroon 5 Gets Their "Hands All Over" A New Sound
Few pop/rock bands are able to easily branch out into new sounds without some backlash
. For a band that's played around with funk and soul influences and a lead singer who's worked with popular rap artists, however, an album that further bends genres is the next logical step.
Maroon 5's third studio release,Hands All Over, may be billed as a pop album, with hints of their usual sound, but there's much more to it. The opening track and first single, "Misery," is reminiscent of their early hits like "This Love," but it's more upbeat and packed with more funk guitars. The second single, "Give A Little More," is also funky, though it's closer to the modern pop that fans are used to, with backing vocals and harmonies that resemble Justin Timberlake.
Out of nowhere, however, comes "Stutter," which features booming, echoing drums and gritty guitars. It's such a big-sounding rock song that it feels like a totally different band, save Adam Levine's signature high, nasal vocals. Meanwhile, "Don't Know Nothing" has a bit of a poppy 70s Motown vibe that still feels fresh and catchy.
"Never Gonna Leave This Bed" may actually sound the most like the band's older material. Though it may be a bit too "adult contemporary" for the rest of the album's vibe, as a straightforward pop/rock tune in the middle of all of the funk tracks with experimental vibes, this track will probably be the most fan-friendly in its lighter tone. It would also serve them well as a third single, as it showcases Levine's higher vocals well.
For those looking for a bit of a Stevie Wonder vibe, the band then has "I Can't Lie." The song has a chill, soulful feel that would have made a great summer song, though it's still a great throwback to classic pop, and its light sound makes it almost completely inoffensive even for those who don't generally like Maroon 5.
Another surprise then comes in the title track, "Hands All Over." While it's a bit reminiscent of "Harder to Breathe," the distorted guitars and electronic noises in the background give it more of a hard rock sound, yet it's still almost impossible to really pin one genre on the track as it hovers somewhere in the middle of rock and pop, especially with Levine's pop harmonies. Producer "Mutt" Lange's rock background is more than apparent on this track.
While it may not be a complete throwaway track, "How" then feels pretty generic after all the genre-bending of the album, too much in the vein of the previous releases. "Get Back in My Life" is a bit better and back to the funk, but "Just a Feeling" is just a bombshell, which is impossible to judge properlyit's such a cheesy early 90s pop ballad that you really need to form your own thoughts.
Finally, if you want pop, "Runaway" is probably the most basic track, but yet again, it feels bland compared to the rest of the album's sounds. Luckily, "Out of Goodbyes," a collaboration with Lady Antebellum, saves the album right at its finish. While pop and country collide on this track, there are also elements of calypso and bluegrass to really mix up genres, leaving Maroon 5 a great segue into branching to other sounds in the future if they choose.
Hands All Over may be a "pop album," but it is also much more than that. Maroon 5 really plays around with their sound throughout the record, sometimes hitting some surprising and interesting points. As a whole, the band's third album is a success that can appeal to a wider range than the band has ever reached before. While there are a few misses that can be easily skipped, even for non-fans, this is an album that is definitely worth checking into.
Hands All Over is available online and in stores now.
By: Drew KolarRead more music reviews at www.allmediany.com!Maroon 5 Gets Their "Hands All Over" A New SoundBy: Rose
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