Maroon 5 – It Won’t Be Soon Before Long

• 21st May 2007

‘More Songs About Jane’ is the immediate, alternative title that will leap into minds with the speed of a sex-starved flea, upon hearing the first three tracks of this second album. Aching heart and wandering soul again litters the material, but at least in ‘Makes Me Wonder’ there is a little depth to the lyrics to distract from the churning instrumental grind. Oasis’ ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ was covered with pride during the ramming home of much talked about debut album. That is what many people who purchased it will be doing upon hearing this. Adam Levine has kept to his soaring soul vocal approach rigidly. It sounded a tad sound laboured last time, this time it touches nauseating point, just like another sighting of Johnny Borrell’s chest. However, ‘Won’t Go Home Without You’ possesses the right amount of heart and slows down, both instrumentally and vocally enough to proffer a droplet of variety and sincerity.

Prince and Lionel Ritchie records are probably more important to this quintet’s tour bus than a driving wheel. Although, ‘Nothing Last’s Forever’ does capture an ounce or two of the poppy bite and emotive snap of those two artists. It is getting difficult to find a distinctive voice from Levine and cronies. The constant revisiting to a seemingly tempestuous relationship is enough to send you searching for the nearest monastery, armed with nothing more than a toy compass and a bottle of Jack Daniels. The Travis revival that is currently occurring may help the plight of ‘Goodnight, Goodnight’ and the guitar licks do capture that musing indie feel quite neatly.

Flailing arms of occasional depth try to pull the outfit out of this slimy swamp of routine and reliance upon one instrumental direction. Unfortunately, it is not enough, but the debut album sales alone will to ensure that a third album is definitely going to be thrust into public earshot. Maybe, they’ll have got over that Jane chick by then?