Album Review: Maroon 5 – V (Deluxe Edition)
3 min read
US pop/rock group Maroon 5 warrant an introduction deserving of music royalty; their debut album Songs About Jane introduced them to the world in 2002, they were all over the radio with hits like This Love and She Will Be Loved. Their sophomore effort It Won’t Be Soon Before Long landed in 2007 and demonstrated M5 were a force to be reckoned with in both the worlds of rock and mainstream pop music; their third album Hands All Over was relaunched featuring one of the best selling singles in history, Moves Like Jagger, which made the group a household name once again and has sold a staggering 14.4 million plus copies since release. The name of their fourth album Overexposed may have seemed like the right word to use in 2012, it spawned international hits Payphone and One More Night; but they weren’t overexposed, they were in a powerful position. Now the supergroup return with their fifth instalment, the highly anticipated V; will it live up to the hype that has been surrounding the band for the last decade?
Maps is everything radio searches for in a lead single, it’s boppy and its melody is memorable, Maroon 5’s hooks tend to be overly addictive and it’s no exception with this track; second single Animals follows a similar route. It Was Always You is hard to categorise, it’s a mix between 80’s/90’s and modern pop/funk/. The synths hum throughout pop ballad Unkiss Me, providing some atmosphere to what could have gone down the sappy and sentimental road; Sugar is M5’s answer to Katy Perry’s hits Teenage Dream and Birthday in the one track, in other words no different to what’s already out there, but they made it theirs and necessary all the same with the beat and singer Adam Levine’s sick falsetto. Leaving California doesn’t deliver something stellar or stand alone like its predecessors, the end of the chorus drags on a touch and the wow factor just isn’t there a hundred percent; not to worry though, the group pick up the pace again with In Your Pocket, driven by a great beat and catchy chorus.
There’s something unlikeable about New Love, the pace of the drums in the chorus is overkill even for an upbeat pop track, and this time Levine’s falsetto just doesn’t cut the mustard; Coming Back For You wins you over with its charm. The album makes a comeback with Feelings, the chorus has you breathing out a ‘wow’ as Levine kills it with the higher end of his vocal range. Maroon 5 aren’t really known for recording tracks with other artists (with the exceptions of Out Of Goodbyes, Moves Like Jagger and Payphone), but a song with Gwen Stefani was in due course as Levine and herself are currently on the judging panel of season seven of The Voice US; it makes a great ballad and has had the Midas touch of Sia Furler’s pen among others. The deluxe edition continues that recurring theme of love (good and bad) and it flows through the upbeat Shoot Love; unexpectedly the record turns to a more swingy and jazzy vibe with Sex and Candy, which is a breath of fresh air. Last, but not least, Levine’s song Lost Stars featured on the soundtrack for the film Begin Again was included, which he also starred in with Keira Knightley.
Maroon 5 present their fifth album, V; even with its imperfections it’s a solid release, with a huge nod to the group’s addictive and ever changing style. There is M5 old and new present in this record, not enough to make you nostalgic, but enough to allow the band to experiment with their newfound edginess with their roots in mind. It’s interesting just how much this band have evolved since their debut with Songs About Jane, a raw sound that warmed the hearts of many worldwide; they are a group who have managed to reinvent themselves time and time again to keep their long time fans satisfied and their new fans interested. Maroon 5 will remain a strong force for some time to come, V won’t let us forget that.
