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(reviewed by Kevin Baker)
If you listened to the radio this summer, you probably heard Harder To Breathe. It was one of the biggest radio hits of 2003, and it is STILL getting a LOT of airplay. They couldn't have made a better choice for a debut single - it's catchy and a great example of their style. Maroon 5 tastefully mixes up rock and modern r&b in a funky, soulful way - you get loud guitars with a beat you can groove and dance to, r&b melodies with rock stylings, and a singer who can be both aggressive and gentle.
Harder To Breathe is definitely one of the aggressive tracks. It's an all-out assault on an ex, but one both spiteful and wounded - the lyrics are filled with put-down attempts and self-edification, but at the same time, an air of deep-seated pain remains - this pain is neither extremely fresh nor old to the point of toothlessness; it is that lingering, bitter achiness that stems from true emotional anguish. Of course, it's not like the song is a masterwork of Dylan or Lennon or Van Morrison - much of the emotion is conveyed through the delivery and the music itself. The next two songs, This Love and Shiver, are also in the aggressive category - the former is another lament over a romance gone sour, though less outwardly venomous as Harder To Breathe, while the latter is a sexually charged (albeit tastefully sexually charged) ode to physical revenge - "you're an emotional vampire who eats my heart alive, so I'll have my pound of flesh by using you for sex."
Things slow down with She Will Be Loved, which isn't one of my favorites. It's pretty enough, but kinda trite. Tangled is another rocker, but my least favorite of them - it's by no means a bad song, but it lacks the bite, speed, and aggression that makes the other rockier songs work. The Sun MAY be my favorite on here - this one is a funky, soulful swinger that actually involves a GOOD relationship. The way this song just swings along, cool and hip....the very feel of the song is a hook in and of itself. Must Get Out has a good chorus, but it has the unpleasant distinction of being lodged between The Sun and Sunday Morning.
Sunday Morning is easily the most mellow number on here. It has nothing to do with the VU song of the same name, nor with the No Doubt song of the same name. It's a sweet, pretty little song about just relaxing and drowning oneself in love with the object of the said love. A little corny, kinda suggestive, but very sweet-spirited and sunny. It's really quite a pleasant love song.
We fall back down from the heavens of love with Secret and its dark intro segment, which doesn't have a whole lot to do with the song. It's a mellower, acoustic number, and is pleasant enough, though not a super highlight or anything. Through With You kicks things back up into aggressiveness - it even sounds bitter. The closing two are nice, and Not Coming Home gives a taste of Maroon 5's live playing. All in all, this is a very strong debut and a good mixing of the good sides of r&b with rock.
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