Details
Track Listing
1. If I Never See Your Face Again
2. Makes Me Wonder
3. Little of Your Time
4. Wake up Call
5. Won't Go Home Without You
6. Nothing Lasts Forever
7. Can't Stop
8. Goodnight, Goodnight
9. Not Falling Apart
10. Kiwi
11. Better That We Break
12. Back at Your Door
Album Notes
Maroon 5: Adam Levine (vocals, guitar); Jesse Carmichael (guitar, keyboards); James Valentine (guitar); Mickey Madden (bass guitar); Matt Flynn (drums).
Additional personnel include: Lenny Castro (percussion).
Recording information: House Of Blues, Encino, California.
Thanks to steady touring and a debut album whose sales picked up at a steady clip after its release, Maroon 5 became one of the surprise break-out acts of the early 2000s. Expectations ran high for the band's sophomore release, and 2007's IT WON'T BE SOON BEFORE LONG delivers. Five years in the making, the album has the sound of a pop album that is well written and performed, painstakingly put together, and slickly and smartly produced.
Maroon 5 have come a long way from the grunge-rock flavor of their tenure as Kara's Flower's (the band's first incarnation). The group still rocks when they want to, but IT WON'T BE SOON finds M5 emphasizing smoother, melodic fare with an R&B twist. Traces of Michael Jackson, Hall & Oates, Prince, and other mainstream soul-pop icons can be heard in the mix, but Maroon 5 gives their sound a distinctive stamp, melding electronic influences, hip-hop, balladry, rock, and keen pop sensibilities. The overall vibe is stylish and sexy, and the top-shelf production glitters, but it's the songwriting that takes center stage (just check the album's first single "Makes Me Wonder").
Industry Reviews
[S]ome of the band's choices, particularly those of guitarist James Valentine, display a surprising derring-do, like 'Kiwi,' a fervent George Clinton-meets-George Michael workout.
[W]hether breaking hearts brusquely or semi-sweetly as on 'Nothing Lasts Forever,' Maroon 5 score with their big, memorable, melodic hooks.
3.5 stars out of 5 -- [They] are now dabbling in everything from nouveau disco to sleazy funk to big-band balladry. Such diversity suits them well...
Included in Rolling Stone's 50 Top Albums of the Year 2007 -- These are vivid tunes that young girls can love and grown-ups can respect.
3.5 stars out of 5 -- The devilishly memorable 'Won't Go Home Without You' combines confidence with affection...
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