The instrumentalists are no longer around to provide spice to an otherwise middling pop act- they’re there to spectate as Adam Levine struts his stuff. After 10 years, this seems to be lost on the group, whose lone contributions are on some the blandest songs on the album. Be it the piano intro of “This Love” or the brilliant guitar line on “Shiver,” the music was almost important to Songs About Jane as Levine was. Part of the reason the band broke through in the first place was their unique combination of soulful frontman and balance between radio-ready riffs and funk rock groove. Frankly, this detracts greatly from the appeal of Maroon 5. Blame it on his popularity, rising star power or sheer talent, but there is no substance to the band beyond Levine’s vocals. The main problem with Overexposed is that Maroon 5 no longer sounds like a band, rather, they have become the Adam Levine show. The drab monotony of club-ready beats wears on you after 12 songs in a row with no break to speak of. The songs range from seriously dull (“Sad,” “Beautiful Goodbye”) to missed opportunities (“Ladykiller,” “Lucky Strike,” “Doin Dirt”) with no real punch aside from the two singles, which are regrettably placed at the very front of the album. “Moves Like Jagger” was a devilishly fun song- something that can’t be said for the songs on Overexposed. The most lacking element from the songs on Overexposed is fun. Replicating the success of “Moves Like Jagger,” which is what Overexposed tries desperately to do 12 times, is far from easy. From the recent Ke$ha-inspired fascination with Mick Jagger to Levine’s soaring falsetto on the chorus, “Moves Like Jagger” was the perfect single at the right time. The reason that “Moves Like Jagger” was such a success was because everything happened to fall into place. This message is reinforced on Overexposed- although ‘run into the ground’ may be a more apt description for the sloppy mess that Maroon 5 offers us. The message was clear: Maroon 5 has changed. Instead of the funk-influence and near-R&B style favored by the 5, “Moves Like Jagger” featured a beat manufactured by hit-maker Benny Blanco and a guest appearance by, of all people, Christina Aguilera.
“Moves Like Jagger,” Maroon 5’s biggest hit to date, was inescapable and Adam Levine in particular has been receiving more than his fair share of exposure with his gig on “The Voice.” More importantly than the exposure that “Moves Like Jagger” afforded the band, however, was the distinct departure in style that it showed us. Overexposed is without a doubt the best adjective to describe modern day Maroon 5. Unfortunately, it's all in the wrong direction. Review Summary: Maroon 5 moves like Levine on its 4th album.
0 kommentar(er)
