MAROON 5 – STRIKE 3!!

Los Angeles’ pop/ funk-rockers Maroon 5 recently graced Australia’s shores to perform and promote their third CD release “Hands All Over”. It’s hard to believe that it is seven long years since “This Love”, “She Will Be Loved” & “Sunday Morning” ruled the global airwaves, and the debut CD release “Songs About Jane” became a smash hit. 2007’s follow up CD “It Won’t Be Soon Before Long” also sold in large quantities, however Maroon 5 were swiftly becoming famous solely for the latest romantic exploits of their charismatic front man, Adam Levine.

So, how does the all-important third CD release “Hands All Over” shape up?

Whether it was an act of pure honesty or a cunning marketing strategy, Adam Levine told the media that “Hands All Over” would be Maroon 5’s final CD. I remain indifferent to this comment, as the band display enormous potential to move away from a “funk” sound into a general Adult Contemporary category, which could see Maroon 5 return to their original level of popularity.

It has to be said that Adam Levine has a weak voice, and his singing tends to get lost within the heavily produced funk songs most synomonous with the Maroon 5 “sound”. The lead single “Misery” is essentially an inferior re-write of “This Love”, and in general the CD is a case of song writing by numbers with very predictable lyrics. Not even the introduction of the mega-successful producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange can bring life to a collection of songs of this standard. The title track “Hands All Over” sounds very similar to Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, noting that Lange produced this classic 1980’s rock track.

“Hands All Over” shines brightest when focusing on the songs counter to Maroon 5’s funk brand. An acoustic version of Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” works particularly well; it’s a great pop song and the arrangement provides space for Levine’s vocals to move to the fore. However, the stand out song is “Out Of Goodbyes”, a duet with the Nashville trio, Lady Antebellum. The whole “acoustic/ country” vibe could actually work wonders for Maroon 5’s popularity. A subtle acoustic arrangement & production tends to suit Adam Levine’s voice. Let’s face it, Maroon 5’s best song [“Sunday Morning”] is based around a simple piano riff and uncomplicated rhythm. Rock guitar doesn’t suit Maroon 5, as Levine’s voice can’t compete.

“Hands All Over” won’t be a mega-platinum selling CD, however this could be a blessing in disguise. Maroon 5 have pushed their “funk” edge within an inch of its life. A change in music direction could just be the trick to spark the band’s popularity & longevity.