Album Review: Maroon 5 – Hands All Over

“This love” is turning into “Misery“

I remember when I bought my first Maroon 5 CD (Songs About Jane). It was 2002. It was a time where the online music store didn’t exist (At least not for me); and you were forced to buy over priced plastic covers and discs at Best Buy. I was a sophomore in High School and *NSYNC still ruled my world. But Maroon 5 was different. They said the F word in one of their songs. They were pure rock. It was wonderful.

Now it’s 2010. I’m way, way out of High School and indie alternative music gets me through the long day. But Maroon 5 is different. They’re a little older, they’re a little less angry, and a lot more pop. I was very surprised at this album. It’s not really the Maroon 5 I remember, and yet it is (It’s a contradiction, I know).

Their rock tone is now covered with heavy synth, a pop base, and less than inventive lyrics. Yet, there’s still that catchy love, sex, and violence tone that is definitely Maroon 5. I can’t say that I hated the album, because I didn’t. I can’t say that I loved the album, because I didn’t. I’m really impartial. There are songs that I really love. And songs that I didn’t like so much.

The songs that I loved were obviously the more rock influenced than the more pop melodies. Misery, the first single, is reminiscent of the “This Love” era and their original alternative rock sound. The catchy and danceable tune is probably the best on the album. Stutter and Hands All Over are the other standouts on the album. Hands All Over has that funk and soul, rock inspired tone. The obsessive sex and love lyrics are reminiscent of the Adam Levine we all know. While Stutter has the same lyrical tone, this song is more light and fluffy.

Get Back In My Life is another song that can be put in “the best on the album” category. It’s a little darker and angry, which is something that I missed when listening to the album. Give A Little More brings the perfect amount of funk and soul into the mix. The rest of the songs are just okay. They don’t particularly make themselves stand out from the rest. The rock/soul ballad How is worth a listen, but sticks to typical melodies. The most disappointing is Out of Goodbyes with Lady Antebellum. The country duet is really out-of-place and boring. I love Need You Now as much as the rest, but this song just doesn’t work.

Overall I would say buy the album. If you can get it on sale, that might be better. No it’s not as up to par with Songs About Jane or It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, but I really did enjoy listening to it. The few songs that are standouts out weigh the one’s that are not. I think that if you love Maroon 5, no matter what, you’ll love the album.