becky219's Full Review: Songs About Jane by Maroon 5
I've put off writing a review of Songs About Jane, primarily because I listened to it a grand total of twice and promptly forgot that I even owned it. During one of my anal retentive episodes where I found myself re-alphabetizing my CD collection, I happened upon it and decided to give it another whirl. I soon discovered why I had forgotten about this record so quickly. There is absolutely nothing here that warrants repeating.
Strike that last statement. I shouldn't say "absolutely nothing," as there is one golden moment on Maroon 5's debut. "Harder To Breathe," the first single, is an undeniably catchy, well-crafted funk-rock tune. The song is a perfect record opener because it does exactly what it should - leave the listener wanting more. Adam Levine's Stevie Wonder-style vocals are tight and a perfect companion to the crunching guitars and the '70s inspired bass/drum line. "Harder To Breathe" does hold up under repeat listening, although once I started paying attention to Levine's lyrics I became slightly annoyed to find that this song is basically an ode to his own sexual prowess. It wouldn't be so annoying if this kind of mentality wasn't a recurring theme throughout the record.
I'm well aware that love, sex, and relationships are favorite topics of many songwriters, but when so many writers are writing about the same thing, the goal should be to keep it as fresh as possible. But Levine's lyrics are about as fresh as the fruitcake that Aunt Tillie gave me last Christmas. Basically every track on Songs About Jane is a variation of how great sex is or how darn hard relationships are. Songs like "Shiver" perfectly showcase the frat-boy mindset with lines like, "You chew me up and spit me out/Enjoy the taste I leave in your mouth." "Secret" takes the hot and bothered theme a little further with such poetic words as, "Cool these engines, calm these jets/I ask you how hot can it get/And as you wipe off beads of sweat/Slowly you say 'I'm not there yet'." I suppose artists like Whitesnake and Poison made very comfortable livings off of lyrics like that, so if Maroon 5's goal is to one day be headlining their local rib festival, they're on the right track.
Eye-rolling lyrics aside, there is plenty else on this record to warrant its use as a coaster. Those Stevie Wonder-style vocals that were so refreshing on the first song become increasingly grating. It becomes painfully obvious that Levine is trying much too hard to emulate the R&B legend. The '70s guitars and funky keyboards also start to wear thin. By the middle of "This Love," only the second track, I was already tired of the sound. Beyond that, I really couldn't tell when one song ended and another began. Apparently, Maroon 5 found a recycled sound that they felt was funky and fresh and decided to beat us all over the head with it.
This whole record is basically a bunch of reasonably talented young boys begging us to listen to them get down with their bad selves. However, their attempts to resuscitate a classic funk/R&B sound fall miserably short. Levine suddenly morphs from Stevie Wonder into Justin Timberlake somewhere around the fourth track. That song, "She Will Be Loved," is so unextraordinary I can't imagine it being on this record for any other reason than the band's label telling them, "You need a ballad here." Timberlake hangs around for the rest of the songs, most notably on the quasi-hard rocker "Through With You." Placed back to back with 'N Sync's "Bye Bye Bye," it's difficult to find many differences between the two.
Overall, Maroon 5 seems to be a group of capable musicians. I can't completely write this CD off as garbage because I can tell that it was a valiant effort on their part. The effort paid off in at least one solid track, the aforementioned "Harder to Breathe," and possibly "Tangled," which is certainly not great but is pleasant enough that I wouldn't cringe if I heard it again. However, the rest of Songs About Jane can only be described as decent background noise at best, and bland, unimaginative tripe at worst.
This album is groovy in spots, offering bluesy funk on Shiver and a catchy, soulful disposition on Harder to Breathe. Must Get Out slows things down w...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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