Maroon 5 - "It Won’t Be Soon Before Long"
January 23, 2008
 B+ |
JoeMusic LOVES Maroon 5. Ever since first hearing “This Love” from their debut album, Songs About Jane, I’ve been waiting for their follow up. Though they released an acoustic consisting mostly of the same songs from that album, it has been 5yrs between records. And yes, the wait has been worth it.
With lead singer Adam Levine in top form, they kick it off with “If I Never See Your Face Again”, an explosive pop-rock number that easily could have been their radio debut. Rather, they decided to keep this gem under wraps for a little while, and instead do a media onslaught (SNL, American Idol) with “Makes Me Wonder”, again showing that they have more energy than a gerbil on Red Bull. The title track sets a slightly different tempo, reminiscent of their first album, as well as with “Nothing Lasts Forever”. It’s great to see them showcase their agility, and the point is proven with “Goodnight Goodnight”, easily parallel to anything by My Chemical Romance or Green Day. A few other standout tracks include “Kiwi” and “Better That We Break”. Overall, a highly worth follow-up that, while a long time coming, shows that they haven’t lost their touch. |
|
Track |
Rating |
Comments |
| If I Never See Your Face Again | A+ | Hard rockin’ and Adam Levine giving it the business. Nice. |
| Makes Me Wonder | A+ | |
| Little Of Your Time | B- | |
| Wake Up Call | B | |
| Won’t Go Home Without You | A- | |
| Nothing Lasts Forever | B+ | |
| Can’t Stop | B | |
| Goodnight Goodnight | C+ | |
| Not Falling Apart | B- | |
| Kiwi | B+ | |
| Better That We Break | B | |
| Back At Your Door | C+ |
Album Review: Michael Buble’ – “Call Me Irresponsible”
January 19, 2008
It’s too bad really, because I wanted to like this album a lot. But what we have here is the downside of taking established songs from past generations and presenting them with a different interpretation. That’s not to say that the album is a total waste, because it isn’t. Michael has a great voice, though not as rich as Harry Connick Jr. It’s just that you can’t help but think of other singers who have performed most of these songs in a way that they’re now classics. And woe to those who attempt to mess with the classics.
Probably the best example of this is “Me and Mrs. Jones”. To say that this is out of Michael’s league doesn’t tell the story properly. You see, not only does he not have the physical appearance to make the story believable, but in trying to give his own interpretation it comes across less genuine, borderline hokey. Contrast this to other tracks like “The Best Is Yet To Come” and the title track, which beg for others to use the words and basic melody to brew their own concoction.
There is hope though, that many listeners won’t recall the artists or songs from earlier times and will accept some (most?) renditions on face value. That’s the most rewarding position for Michael – introducing the classics to an audience that largely doesn’t know what they’re missing. JoeMusic gives it a C+
