Well, it's about time I got to this one, eh? For a band whose breakthrough album came out in 2002, and who established themselves on radio with two insanely catchy radio singles the following year, you'd think I'd have gotten into Maroon5 a little sooner. But then, I rarely listen to the radio. Hmm. Once in a rare blue moon, I actually regret that.

Actually, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that I caught wind of these guys by means other than the radio. I had read about the rock/funk/R&B hybrid group in a few different places, and I even sauntered over to mp3.com and snagged the generous offering of three full songs that were available from the band. I made a mental Post-It-Note to listen to them later, since I was probably in the middle of a CD at that point (and I have this thing for completion), but the note must've gotten buried in a pile of papers or something, because I forgot I had the songs on my hard drive until New Year's Day 2004, when I was making a quick scan through for stuff I hadn't listened to yet. Maroon5 popped out, and all it took was a quick overview of their style to get me hooked. It's a funny thing about me - I've never been huge on R&B or most "urban" forms of music, but play 'em with live instrumentation, and I'll usually give you a listen. I guess most of the commercial stuff I've heard from said genre (which admittedly isn't much, and not a fair standard by which to judge any genre, really) has been too canned for my liking. Rock is more my forte, and even though a lot of popular rock bands have quite a bit of production gloss hanging from their songs, it still comforts me to know that real instruments are being played and that there's a likelihood the band can emulate it well in a live setting.

Anyway, Maroon5 proved to be an effective middle ground between the two genres (which have more in common than you'd think, if you really take a look at rock & roll's origins). I guess that this was a logical extension of a bridge built between rock and rap over the last decade that's now seeing way more traffic than it can handle - it was only a matter of time before a mainstream act attempting to bridge R&B and rock would become popular. You could argue that pop stars such as Justin Timberlake attempted it from the other side, but from the rock side of things, Maroon5 is really the first act that's caught my attention. They started out with a simple enough plan as teenagers, when they were known as Kara's Flowers, but apparently that group's first album went nowhere fast, and some time out for college gave lead singer Adam Levine time to soak in the more urban tastes of his peers during his time in New York. This influence revitalized the band, spurring a name change, and eventually a new record deal. They almost decided to go full-on R&B, but a little persuasion convinced them that it would be better off to stick to their strengths and keep the live, rock-oriented instrumentation. With that in mind, Songs About Jane was born - a fun and soulful collection of Matchbox Twenty-esque love/hate songs married to bouncy and sometimes feisty grooves driven by punchy drums, carefree keyboards, and funk-laden guitar parts. For the most part, it's heaven to these ears.

If Maroon5 has any problems, I guess those problems would be threefold. The first and most obvious problem is that, despite the diversity of tone and tempo, their style can begin to sound a bit gimmicky by the end of a 12-song disc. Going along with this, Adam's higher-pitched, somewhat nasal tone is going to easily annoy certain people on their first few attempts to sit to the album. It's one of those voices that's in a perfect range for me to sing along to, and that is refreshingly different from anything else on rock radio today, but it's better suited for crooning than it is for aggression (even if the record's more aggressive tracks still manage to work quite well). Finally, the mistreated lover persona that dominates almost the entire album can make it difficult after a while to distinguish one song from another. I suppose the title, Songs About Jane, makes sense in that light - the album cover features a cartoonish sketch of a naked woman with long, flowing, strategically placed red hair, opening a box and releasing its contents unto the world. One wonders if this is a reference to Pandora's Box - a mythical container that held many beautiful things, but also the curse of mischief. That alone could sum up the band's apparent feelings about this woman - beautiful but troublesome. And the album finds Adam vacillating between loving her and regretting the day they met. An interesting story, I suppose, but it gets a tad repetitive.

Harder to Breathe
What you are doing is screwing things up inside my head
You should know better, you never listened to a word I said...
The CD starts off with a heck of a bang, that's for sure. A programmed drum loop sneaks up on the listener, which quickly gets overtaken by slamming live drums and a taunting verse in which Adam tells a girl off in a rapid-fire style that would make the Barenaked Ladies proud. This is the classic "You'll be sorry you dumped me, because now I don't want you back" type of song, and it puts the band's edgier side upfront with buzzing guitars that dance around the verses and steal center stage during the bridge. The song is one of those that will immediately either impress or annoy whoever hears it - Adam's voice is probably at its most feverish here, even spewing out the line "Not fit to funkin' tread the ground that I am walking on" at one point (at least, the lyrics claim he says "funkin" - it sure sounds like that other term, but I'll take their word for it!) Of course I've fallen on the "impressed" side, since it makes its point with style, contains enough quirks to make it stand out (I love the dog-panting vocal effect in the chorus when the other instruments drop out), and finishes its attack with a sharp and sudden jab, finishing its job in under three minutes. I can't recall the last time I heard such a catchy and compact single with this much punch to it.

This Love
I tried my best to feed her appetite
Keep her coming every night
So hard to keep her satisfied...
Not surprisingly, the album's second track is also the second single that's given Maroon5 some success in recent months. It settles into a more easy-going groove (as most of the album does; "Harder to Breathe" was really a bit of an anomaly), and manages to stand out due to the prominent, forceful piano playing that leads the band through an unexpected series of chord changes during the verses. It's one of those melodies that sounds off at first, and you can't quite name another song that resembles it, but it gets stuck in your head. The chorus is more of a straightforward affair musically, but it introduces a dilemma in the lyrics, when Adam explains, "Her heart is breaking in front of me, and I have no choice, because I won't say goodbye any more." The song describes a complicated game that a couple seems to be playing with each other - they're on again, they're off again, they don't seem to know where they stand. It's almost as if the guy is admitting an inability to leave her despite being put through the emotional wringer, because he's worried about her. Man, that's a tough one.

Shiver
Immobilized by the thought of you
Paralyzed by the sight of you
Hypnotized by the words you say
Not true, but I believe them anyway...
This song has an odd, tinkering-in-the-studio feel at first due to the naked drumming and the random burst of guitar noise that leads into it. It soon begins to take shape as a cool, seductive groove, though in a strangely minimal way. The starting and stopping of the rhythm and Adam's vocals, the moderately sexual nature of the lyrics ("I won't be satisfied 'til I'm under your skin"), and the vaguely Middle Eastern hook that caps off the chorus make the song feel a bit like Justin Timberlake singing lead for Matchbox Twenty. It's an odd combination of sounds and it seems like it could fall apart at any moment, but the band manages to keep it together, and aside from a point near the end where the chorus seems to be more shouted than sung, it's a worthwhile track that shows a funkier side of the band. I love how Adam stretches out the word "skin" at the end of each chorus, which is eventually how the song suddenly ends.

She Will Be Loved
Tap on my window, knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful...
Surprisingly, the first "ballad" on the CD doesn't fare as well as some of the more upbeat tunes. I appreciate the more acoustic nature of the track and the lighter drums, but this one has a breezy pop feel that makes it seem ordinary in comparison to its surroundings. It might still stand a chance at becoming a hit, though, since it's got another infectious chorus that expresses devotion to a down-and-out girl - "I don't mind spending every day out on your corner in the pouring rain." On the one hand, Adam's assurance to this girl that "she will be loved" is flattering, but from the rest of the lyrics and the previous songs, one wonders if this is the same girl he's had previous trouble with, and if he's just hanging on because he can't bear to hurt her feelings. In other words, if nobody else loves her, then darn it, I'm gonna be the one to do it, because I feel bad leaving her all alone. Highly dysfunctional relationship, eh?

Tangled
You're just an innocent, a helpless victim of a spider's web
And I'm an insect, going after anything that I can get...
Man, this is a fun song! Drums and keyboards bring the energy level back up just a bit, with the drums being particularly insistent, hitting three times occasionally where once would have been sufficient to define the beat. (I love it when drummers mess with where the upbeats and downbeats are supposed to go.) Adam switches gears lyrically on this one, issuing an apology rather than taking the offensive, because basically he's been a total dirt bag to this girl and just used her for his own selfish gain. Now he's warning her to stay away because he can't even figure out how he got so messed up in the head. I love the way the melody rises and falls in the chorus, and this creates an opportunity for a great vocal breakdown right before the funky solo in the middle of the song. This is a standout track for the band and I'd love it if something like this hit the radio waves after "This Love" runs its course.

The Sun
Hate to love and love to hate her
Like a broken record player...
At the album's center is a more laid-back groove, matched up with a lyric that is definitely one of Maroon5's more cryptic moments. There's a certain nostalgic feel to it, since Adam describes "Walking home after school" and "What life was like through photographs" and things like that, and he addresses his mother in the chorus. But the main lyric is a very strange one - "The battle's almost won, and we're only seven miles from the sun". Well, I have no idea what that's all about, other than the obvious fact that it's not literal or they'd be burning up. Even more puzzling is the bridge, where the band slips back into their usual love/hate rhetoric, dropping pointed metaphors like "The sex she slipped into my coffee". Perhaps it's a song about a childhood love - but don't let the ambiguity mess with your head, or you'll miss the fun interplay between the organ and the effect-laden guitar.

Must Get Out
I've been the needle and the thread
Weaving figure eights and circles round your head...
The other song on the album with a decidedly non-funky groove shows up here - this one reminds me a bit of The Police with its plucked, measured intro, but it soon takes on a life of its own as it describes life in a dull city with nothing to do - or perhaps too much to do. Either way, Adam's resolution is clear - "This city's made us crazy and we must get out", or, as he enunciates it, "we muss-geh-ow". The song is a bit bogged down by its simplistic rhymes, but there's still some interesting stuff going on here that adds to this idea of a frazzled couple in need of a change of sceerny. In that sense, it reminds me of Beth Hart's "L.A. Song" even though the music and overall story are different - probably because I link both songs to my own stir-craziness when I've been cooped up in Smogville for too long.

Sunday Morning
Fingers trace your every outline
Paint a picture with my hands
Back and forth we sway like branches in a storm
Change the weather still together when it ends...
The bright, shiny, happy atmosphere of this song stands out almost immediately - it's got a more relaxed, carefree vibe than anything on the record, and it totally gives away the band's admiration of Stevie Wonder. Here, it's like we've followed the estranged lovers on a weekend retreat to a bed-and-breakfast off in the woods for the purpose of rekindling their relationship, and they've just woken up on the final morning of their stay, wanting to drink in the solitude and "steal some covers, share some skin". Mmmm, sounds good to me. The song gains steam as it goes, developing into a full-on block party with everyone singing along and the guitars, drums, and piano trading off riffs with one another in a fashion akin to something the Dave Matthews Band would come up with. (The only thing that's odd to me about this song is the chorus, and only because it makes me expect a rhyme that of course isn't there - after the lines "That may be all I need, in darkness she is all I see", the next line is "So come on rest your bones with me", and when I hear "bones" I expect a word rhyming with "all", so sometimes I mess up and sing "balls". That's not good.)

Secret
Driving fast now, don't think I know how to go slow
Where you at now, I feel around, there you are...
The longest song on the album is, not surprisingly, a bit of a slow-burner. The intro is one of those that completely kills the momentum of the album, since almost half a minute of barely audible synth notes, and finally an acoustic guitar jumps in, giving the song a slow but steady rhythm. The song has a sparse vibe to it throughout, which can make it a bit tedious, but it's also rather catchy once you pick up the tune. I'm not too keen on the lyrics, though - Adam seems to be trying to pick up on a total stranger when he says "I know I don't know you, but I want you so bad". Altogether, it doesn't seem to be one of his better lyrics. It's a nice slow jam but I don't feel like it really goes anywhere in its five-minute running time.

Through with You
Heartache, heartache, I just have so much
A simple love with a complex touch...
Picking up the pace again is the last of the three songs I originally downloaded from mp3.com (the others were "Harder to Breathe" and "Tangled" - funny how those are all my favorites now) - this one starts off with an ominous keyboard intro before bringing in a rhythm similar to "Tangled". It's a similar mid-tempo song, but it's got a bit of bite to it, since Adam is once again on the offensive, basically telling a girl who's left him hanging where she can stick it. I love how the band just pounds out the chorus on this one - it's almost like a sing-songy, sarcastic jab at this girl. "You stole my heart just to give it back. No other lover has ever done that." Once again, the band makes use of stop-start musical tricks and quick-flowing lyrics, and I love the final bit at the end, right after all of the instruments drop out: "I ain't never coming back to you." Man, I'll take that over "Cry Me a River" any day!

Not Coming Home
I would do anything to end your suffering
But you would rather walk away...
It completely baffles me that a new band would choose to break up the flow of their debut record by inserting a live track out of nowhere. The silly thing is, when I first downloaded this song, I had a studio version, and it sounded just fine. With a cheering audience in the background, and a sound that's still pretty polished (no way they can possibly sound this clean-cut in a live setting!), one has to assume that the thing has been ridiculously overdubbed. It also adds to the overall "boy-band" feeling of this particular song - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, mind you - there's just something about the rhythm of the words and the background vocals during the chorus that puts the song close to 'N Sync territory. But then again, you have those chunky guitar riffs and all the funky wah-wah stuff. So maybe not. It's a fun song, for the most part, even if the song says nothing that's terribly different from the previous one.

Sweetest Goodbye
So I can show you how I dream away everyday
Try so hard to disregard the rhythm of the rain that drops
And coincides with the beating of my heart...
The band chooses to close their album out in a classy manner, laying down a softer groove with a gently picked acoustic guitar, and bringing in a last dose of electric guitar funk for the chorus. The song makes for a bit of an ambiguous closer - on the one hand it sounds like he's asking the girl to do the healthy thing and say goodbye, but on the other hand, he asks her, "How does it feel to know you never have to be alone?" The only way I can reconcile these contradictory sentiments is to assume that old Jane has finally found herself another guy who knows how to treat her right (and vice versa), and Adam is wishing her well. The song sounds slightly goofy when Adam interjects "yeah" and "uh-huh" over the intro, but it's not too obtrusive - you just get the picture that he's bobbing his head and getting a feel for the music his band is making. It's a pretty good finish overall.

I see good things in the future for Maroon5, as long as they can manage to write about more interesting things than just relationships. They've shown excellence at both the speedy songs and the slow-burning ones on a musical level, now they need to step it up and give us some songs that cover different subject matter, so we can have the joy of figuring out what's being said as the grooves wash over us rather than just putting our brains an auto-pilot and assuming it's another song about a girl. But for a debut, this is pretty good stuff. While they don't necessarily sound like the artists they tour with, I think they've done a good job by hitting the road with artists like John Mayer and Jason Mraz, and fans of those artists (especially Jason) would do well to give Maroon5 a shot if they haven't already.

ALBUM WORTH:
Harder to Breathe $2
This Love $1.50
Shiver $1.50
She Will Be Loved $.50
Tangled $2
The Sun $1
Must Get Out $.50
Sunday Morning $1.50
Secret $.50
Through with You $2
Not Coming Home $1
Sweetest Goodbye $1
TOTAL: $15

CONCLUSION: Yep, it's a worthwhile purchase.

Band Members:
Adam Levine: Lead vocals, guitars
James Valentine: Guitars
Jesse Carmichael: Keyboards, guitars
Mickey Madden: Bass
Ryan Dusick: Drums

Website: http://www.maroon5.com


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving