Album Name: ‘Hands All Over’

Artist: Maroon 5

Genre: Pop/Rock

Sounds like: Maroon 5’s Greatest Hits

Soundwaves: 3.5/5

Release Date: Sept. 21, 2010

With ‘Hands All Over,’ Maroon 5 has released its biggest, best produced and most consistent album to date. Songs like ‘Give A Little More,’ ‘Don’t Know Nothing’ and ‘I Can’t Lie’ rank among the band’s best works, and there are enough hits on this album for it to go double platinum. But in the midst of all the catchy melodies, glitzy guitar and funky drumming, the band has taken a step back artistically and may have given its producer, Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange, too much creative control.

Indeed, ‘Hands All Over’ lacks the vigor that characterized previous albums ‘Songs About Jane’ and 2007’s ‘It Won’t Be Soon Before Long.’ By sticking to the scripts of love, sex, heartbreak and drama, the band isn’t trying to fool anyone — this is the same Adam Levine and Maroon 5 we have always known. Yet their songwriting and recording styles have changed drastically. This is the most ‘pop’ album the band has produced to date, and the irresistible melodies and sleek studio engineering certainly reflects as much. Instrumentation is airtight, and Levine’s voice shines throughout. Generic lyrics and worn-out themes get in the way, however, and drag the overall product down.

The other side of the coin, though, is the lyrics and themes don’t require careful attention. Lange and Maroon 5 primarily want to make listeners dance and sing along, so heavy attention has been paid to melody and crafting catchy songs. The band’s lead single, ‘Misery,’ is fun and formulaic, virtually a twin brother of its 2003 smash, ‘This Love.’ Here the band has clearly sacrificed pushing itself in a new direction. But how upset can we really be when the song sounds so damn good? The second track, ‘Give A Little More,’ follows suit. It’s an infectious and bouncy track that would have been right at home back in 1978, with its Bee Gees-era disco vibe.

The lead tracks certainly don’t blow us away, but they are meant to be catchy and accessible, as well as set the tone for the rest of ‘Hands All Over.’ What results is an album with seamless flow that sounds great, front to back. The band takes off its collective platform shoes and brings back the guitar with ‘Stutter,’ a rock-pop jam with a million-dollar chorus. ‘Don’t Know Nothing’ finds Maroon 5 expanding its sound, bringing fresh and unexpected melodies into the mix, whereas ‘Never Gonna Leave This Bed’ suffices as a standard pop song.

‘I Can’t Lie’ is a standout track, perfectly synthesizing the piano-guitar-vocal interplay that has made Maroon 5 so successful. The title track is a sleazy, glam-rock staple that could remind the listener of Def Leppard. This is suspicious, considering Lange produced all of Leppard’s hits in the 1980s. ‘How’ is a bit cheesy and leaves the listener sorely missing the band’s signature funk sound. The song just seems too much like a stencil pop ballad.

The same analysis holds true for ‘Just a Feeling,’ the album’s second ballad. As sweet and sugary as the track is, it is not Maroon 5’s style and is probably better suited as theme music for a teenage soap opera. Fortunately, ‘Out of Goodbyes’ (featuring pop-country group Lady Antebellum) ends the album on an odd note, with Maroon 5 exploring new styles and tapping into the country music genre.

How difficult it is to pick apart something that sounds so good. These are pop songs, all clocking in at less than four minutes, each crafted with the intent of making people dance and sing along. Fans expecting a creative step forward will be disappointed, as will critics who misunderstand this band’s intentions. Maroon 5 is fun, funky and catchy. It always has been. ‘Hands All Over,’ if nothing else, reaffirms the band’s identity and shows Levine and the crew have become experts at their craft.

ajhaeder@syr.edu

Published on September 27, 2010 at 12:00 pm