Maroon 5 - "Overexposed"

06/26/2012

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NEW MUSIC TUESDAY!

Spotify Listen Link: Maroon 5 – Overexposed

2013 Grammy Nominations:
  • Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, "Payphone" (fest. Wiz Khalifa)
  • Best Pop Vocal Album

These guys were down the street from me the night this came out, and I'm still kicking myself for not going. They were signing copies god dammit! 

I want to set the record straight on my love for Maroon 5. I am a loyalist to both TV shows and bands. If I watch the first episode and love it or listen to the first album and am entranced into love, then more than likely I'm going to try to watch the rest and listen to everything they continue with. "Songs About Jane" was one of the best albums of its time, bringing this completely unique and wonderful pop-jazz style to mainstream music that I still can't get over. Has Maroon 5 gone far more pop lately? ABSOLUTELY. But I give everything they've got a chance, and they've never let me down -- meaning there's at least a song or two to really love on every album.
"One More Night" opens up the whole album, bringing a very sexy theme right off the bat. Let's face it, that's not a huge surprise. The obsession factor in love is kind of a total bitch, and the music is completely catchy. And if Adam Levine only wanted to give me one more night, so be it - I'll take it. God I love the beat on this one. Not that the video makes a lick of sense - just an excuse for Adam Levine to get a good workout in and play with a baby. I mean, okay, from her perspective, I guess getting out goes with the song. Or maybe the thing he's staying with is boxing. Cute fish thing though.



I adore "Payphone" (feat. Wiz Khalifa) for no real reason other than the music is awesome. And really, in the grand scheme of things, the music is not really all that awesome. But it's got something excellent that I can't let go of no matter how many times I hear it. They hit the nail on the head with this hit. "All those fairy tales are full of shit - one more fucking love song I'll be sick." Now here's a fun little video/movie set to the song.
Why do artists tend to lead albums with the singles? I never really understood that like, ever. Also, it makes my reviews lopsided with videos. Anywhos, "Daylight" is third up and third single and I can't get this one out of my head either. It's got an excellent melody to it and a sad but relevant (albeit personally) thought process. Live for the night and the dark, I say. Or think, at least. Anywhos, here's "The Daylight Project" - folks chipping in for the video, talking about what they love, hate, their passions, and singing the song. This video completely changes my perception of the song, and I really hope all y'all take 10 minutes and watch it all the way through.
"Lucky Strike" is the first one I'm almost positive I have't heard on the radio. Alright, now we get some perspective because it's not something that's been stuck in my head for days at a time or wearing on my heart as I hear the lyrics again and again. I'd also like to know that up until the proceeding period, I wrote all of these sentences before the songs were played/through. I mean, I already knew my opinion, so why not just get it out there? Anywhos, this song starts off with a very old-school guitar hard strum. Adam's immediately incoming with quick words with a slight bite to every syllable. They definitely went more dance/club with this album, and I don't hate that idea.

Even a sentiment like the one in "The Man Who Never Lied" is turned into an up-beat dance number inexplicably. I just don't know where the beat came in, and find it a little unnecessary. At least there's a slight drag to the beat that makes the intensity of the broken heart a little more understandable.

Wait, I have heard this one. "Love Somebody" is completely familiar. This is one that, at first, the beat doesn't seem warranted, but it works as the song goes on. I know there are innuendos strewn throughout, but I frankly do not give a shit. The song is gorgeous and fun and great. More please.

"Ladykiller" has me wondering if Adam stole a little titling from his Voice buddy Cee Lo. Please tell me someone out there understood what I meant by that. They ditch a bit of the dance beat for this one in favor of a steady, older-version of Maroon 5 rhythms. I don't love the melody itself through the verses, and the chorus seems a little bland compared to everything else, but mid-album it gives a slight breath of air amongst the constant dancing.

I didn't think I'd be craving speakers that could give good bass for a Maroon 5 album, but that pounding at the start of "Fortune Teller" would probably sound pretty great with them. I think the premise is a little weak for my taste though. I mean, I get it - you can't predict the future of what will happen in your relationship as it progresses. But something about the wording is just sort of bland in comparison to some other metaphors.

"Sad" is another breath in this mid-album slump. This time, we get Mr. Levine playing piano (I assume) and singing his little heart out. And it's actually very… touching. It's one of those ones where the guy realizes he screwed up and should have done better by the girl. Now, he's, well, sad about it. He also talks about being scared this was the one and only and there won't be another like this. If someone out there thinks this of you, you're really special.

I really want to like "Tickets" for some reason. It's completely an inner-body thing. I'm dancing in my seat to the precise rhythm in my seat here and not knowing why, because zoning in on the lyrics kills the song actually. It's just like… nothing. I mean, obviously it's something but… I don't really know what I'm saying. I just plain ol' don't like it.

"Doin' Dirt" isn't going to give us a break from the party. What'd Adam Levine do, become bests with LMFAO? Too much is too much sometimes buddy. 

Aww, Adam listened to me! "Beautiful Goodbye" starts off with a line about being sorry for letting me down (and yes, I take these things a bit personally, so thank you sir). This ones slows it down just enough to be more enjoyable in a normal setting, but not so much that I loose the ever-important ability to foot tap. Granted, the description isn't that lovely - he basically says that the tears are beautiful, but describes it as dripping, which never makes for a lovely sweet image.

"Wipe Your Eyes" - what the F is happening at the start of this song? I mean, it's a breakup song from what I can tell, but does it have to sound so weird in the goodbye? And do you have to be so twisted to offer to also be the one to wipe away the tears that you've caused? Ugh, I've never been very okay with songs like this.


Ooh, what you got there boys? A little bit of a funk beat going on? Well that's unexpected and welcome. "Wasted Years" kind of breaks things down a little bit musically, and it's kind of cool. There's some horns back there helping out, and the beat itself is created by some old 90's beat box that Will Smith would have been carrying around, but I don't see a "feat. DJ Jazzy Jeff" credit anywhere to explain it. The fact this was on the "13th Friday" DVD helps explain things a bit - this song's older than the rest, and a little closer to the old M5 feel.


"Let's Stay Together" rounds out the album. And yes, it's exactly the cover you were expecting. It's a stripped down version though, with just the funk keys and the slight hint fo a guitar keeping a beat. Seriously, great stuff in combination with Adam Levine's voice. He's got the ultimate great voice to take on this particular number. And the recording style remains raw and relatable, like you could be in the room right there with them.
Added to My Playlist:
  • "One More Night"
  • "Payphone" (feat. Wiz Khalifa)
  • "Daylight"
  • "Love Somebody"
  • "Sad"
  • "Let's Stay Together"

Oh Maroon 5, I will never 100% stray from you. Sometimes, the direction you take (in this case, you strayed almost totally into the club) throws me off a bit, but we always manage to bind over a few really great ones, and that was once again the case here. Cheers to another good job done and I look forward to more and more to come.
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Maroon 5 - Hands All Over

03/16/2012

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Oh, you think THAT's a provacative picture? Try this one. Mhmmm. 

So, a lot of people I know really do not like Maroon 5 at all. I have to admit, I actually really enjoy a lot of what they put out. Songs About Jane is one of the few CDs that stays in semi-regular rotation for me. I love the jazz feel to a lot of their music, even if they claim to be a rock band. While everything since then has not necessarily lived up, it's never been a bother to me in any way.

This band's making its tenth anniversary this year as "Maroon 5" (they were "Kara's Flowers" for 8 years prior), and this is only their third studio album. While high numbers of albums says a lot of about a group's ability to write, I think there's something just a noble to having this few number. The band has managed to do this, all along producing pretty damn good tunes, and maintain a great fan base (minus many of my friends, apparently). To me, it seems like they take the time needed to put a lot out in one fell-swoop (oddly, the exact opposite of Robyn's approach, as we learned yesterday). They tour and promote and just are a generally good example of industry survivors.

Mutt Lang is the producer on this, and I note this mainly because of the name - and the fact that HE approached THEM to do the work - when tons of people are knocking down his door trying to get him on their projects. Apparently, he really pushed them. He had them record and finish a whole song, then re-strip the entire thing and do it in different ways, just to get the absolute right sounds.

No exact track listing I can find matched up with what Spotify gives us, but this grouping does include what we came here for - the Grammy nominated "Moves Like Jagger" (only included in the re-release). On top of that, there are some bonus tracks included that only seem to be on foreign and a few iTunes releases. That said, follow along in the fun with my on Spotify, and let's get this party going!



Ahhh sweet memories of Dalton in Glee to start with for "Misery." Admittedly, not my favorite song lyrically. I mean, come on, buck up dude. Nah, I just can't get into the songs of self-pity, especially those set to such funky music. That's the thing - the music is fantastic! The melodies are even just perfect for the arrangement. As long as I don't get too lost in the lyrics, and just give over to the instrumentation itself, this is a wonderful song. So much fun with the perfect groove.
Can I be her for like... a minute? Or 3:30? Talk about letting your wild side out. Hush boys - that's his girlfriend. And that's kind of an abusive relationship... But hell, if Adam would let a girl do all that and still have his hands all over her... sigh. This is so twisted, and kind of hilarious as it goes on.

"Give A Little More" is like this perfect disco song for this age. It's got all the vocal effects on it you could want, and the melodies scream Saturday night fever. I don't know where the influences came from for this album, but thus far, it's a far cry from their first. Sure, Adam's falsetto is still there - and might I add, he can work that better than anyone else I've reviewed here. But something still works as the group branches out.
Hm. relatively simple performance video. I feel like it's been a long time since we've seen one of these from them.

"Stutter" has a little more of the sound we were used to, but sinks into this other funk sound that shows a different side of the group. While the vocal trail from Adam in the bridge are maybe a little too feminine, the melodies work. Okay, the more I get into it, I think this would be better sung by a female, but the song is still something to listen to. The beat's a very steady swing-your-hips-to type of rhythm. Here's a live performance of it, and actually... I kind of wouldn't mind seeing them in concert.
The "oohs" of "Don't Know Nothing" have lost me. I like the disco influence, but it's too much here. This is where every song is starting to sound too similar, and if I don't get a break soon, it'll be awful. The best part of this is the slight rock edge in the bridge that reminds you this is a band, not something manufactured in a studio.

"Never Gonna Leave This Bed" is so damn catchy. I know a lot of people this this is a dumb song, but it's kind of twisted-ly romantic. And come ON - that chorus?? I get it stuck in my head every time. This was the relief from the disco sound we needed so badly a few minutes ago, at least. The guitar gets a chance to sound like itself for a change! Anywhos, the song's about staying. He, of course, needs to say it in the middle of the night, but at least he says it. At least he wants to be there. Damn it.
I love a band with a sense of humor. Way to take the concept as literally as possible boys. :)

Some damn good light funk gets to playing "I Can't Lie" with this great sound and rhythm throughout. You can't help but closing your eyes and giving in. Okay, maybe YOU can, but I can't. This is a great one for the band as a whole, as their sound fits it in every way, shape, and form.

"Hands All Over." Time for the rockin' title track. There has always been something insanely sexy about Maroon 5, even with the scrawny-ness that is Adam Levine. They just sweat it in their music from time to time, and this is no exception. Sure, I could go into how this is about love and relationships and blah blah blah, but with that guitar coming in, there's far more here. Remember once I said there's always a bedroom song? This is it, and things are hot. And on that note, here's an animated video.
"Take my hand. I'm going through hell; afraid nothing can save me but the sound of your voice." The end of the chorus isn't wonderful, and the best is just to staccato, but there is something to "How" that is keeping me hooked to every word of this song. It's heartbreaking, and that's putting it simply. This one's tough, and probably a good crying song if it weren't for the upbeat nature.

"Get Back In My Life" starts off with just a bit too much falsetto and continues on just a little too mundane in its treatment of dancing. I understand they have other songs like this, so maybe it's just boring at this point. Or perhaps it just blends a little too well into the background.

Slowing things down, we get "Just A Feeling." I despise repetitive choruses - make your point with more works, especially when three are not doing it for you at all. It's a nice break in the album, to slow down just a little bit to enjoy a smoothness that their music can provide, Unfortunately, it's another one that can fade into the background thanks to lack of impact.

"Runaway" has a great beat, and I mean that in the way that it hits emphases from time to time. I actually had to listen to this a few times because some things came up while I wanted to be typing, but I loved it more and more each time. Actually, I got abandoned in a Facebook chat at an intense moment, so this song had incredible timing. The drama is just a perfect touch as a whole to make the song intense without adding dark tones to the entire thing. It's really just well done, and that's all.
These guys certainly know how to film in outstanding places. And how to time waves on beat with a symbol smash. Well played, sirs. It's kind of cool - to take something that he's trying to use as an escape as his form of running away. That's the only way i can think of this - because I think we all have something like this to escape into when needed.

Well shucks Maroon 5, how did you know Lady Antebellum would be an instant win of my heart? The song is "Out of Goodbyes." It's nice to hear Hillary's voice again, even if I didn't love their last album. God, this is a sad song. It's beautiful though, even with the sadness factor. I promise I didn't cry too much, if you're concerned.
Dwight Yoakam. -_- Only one other person will know what I mean by that.

Otherwise... whew. Intense and un-expected video.

It's odd, but "Moves Like Jagger" with Christina Aguilera sounds different on the album. I think it's just how the approach is for the song in an album setting, rather than with a radio lead-in. The beats are clearer, and the song in entirely more enjoyable. I always have wanted to hear this one in the middle of a club, and it has, unfortunately, not managed to happen yet. This is a total let-go song. It's also an incredibly good flirt song in the midst of dance-floor madness. I just think everything abou this is fun - exactly as it's meant to be. And Josh, Christina is the female vocal that comes in around 2:00. And now, for the absolutely hilarious, wonderful video to accompany it. Seriously, this is out of this world!!
"Last Chance" is one of those bonus tracks we were talking about. It's got this kind of classic song to is throughout the beginning, almost in the vein of a loung singer. And I have no idea if I spelled loung right. E or no e? Spell check isn't picking it up. Anywhos. There's the sweet guitar line throughout this the gives it a sensual, seductive tone, despite it being about holding on. Oh the music just works somehow in that magical way.

Oh my, some intense drums and piano hitting for "No Curtain Call." Maybe it's the title, but this does sound like a very climactic moment in a stage show. Damn, there's nearly a symphony playing behind them as the chorus hits. This is unlike anything I've personally ever heard from Maroon 5, and it's about the same thing - giving it all for someone. There's no ending to whatever's going on - this is a forever kind of love, even if the music claims a fight. But maybe that's just it - a fight for love.

"Never Gonna Leave This Bed - Acoustic" comes at us next, and it's simply beautiful. There's a simple bass drumming behind it, with, maybe, some wooden blocks, and a simple piano and slight guitar involved. The vocals are light and gorgeous in a way that make you want to just drift away on the wind form the ocean breezes in the video. However, this is completely its own track. This is wonderful.

Same thing goes for "Misery - Acoustic." This is a totally different song. The emotion is there in a way that was completely missing before. It's simply a great song in this very, and one I think could have been an excellent release to the public at the right moment.

"If I Ain't Got You - Live" is the final song. It's a cover of the Alicia Key's hit song, and it's astounding. Adam found a niche here at the right moments. This is a brilliant, heart-full song in its original form, and hearing a male voice makes it something different, yet still holds all that passion Alicia brought on a few years ago. This song can bring a person to their knees in tears with the emotion it pours out. So freakin' amazing. Whew. Sing it...


Added to My Playlist:
  • ""Give A Little More"
  • "Never Gonna Leave This Bed"
  • "I Can't Lie"
  • "Hands All Over"
  • "How"
  • "Runaway"
  • "Moves Like Jagger"
  • "No Curtain Call"
  • "Never Gonna Leave This Bed - Acoustic"
  • "Misery - Acoustic"
  • "If I Ain't Got You - Live"

I think it's safe to say I really enjoyed this album. Granted, those disco tracks had me a bit concerned for a while, and I thought the whole thing was going downhill. But they, I don't know, there were just just so many gems that worked so well. They were worked perfectly, filled with emotion, yet the fun element you need when listening to Maroon 5. My only disappointment is that I didn't hear this sooner.
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