Rewind back to June 2011; Maroon 5 have just released ‘Moves Like Jagger’ – a dancepop collaboration with Christina Aguilera that became a massive commercial and critical success. What followed a year later was the band’s fourth album Overexposed, a daring (yet ultimately, triumphant) venture into commercial pop mainstream. Frontman Adam Levine stated that ‘Moves Like Jagger’ saved them as a group, and certainly, Overexposed brought them well back into the public consciousness.
Back in the present, it’s 2014 and Maroon 5 are set to release their fifth album, V (pronounced ‘Five’), over 12 years on from their debut release, Songs About Jane. The band’s first release on their new label Interscope Records, V is the remarkable sound of a band completely reinvigorating their sound, whilst simultaneously offering a familiar, comfortable release which compliments and strengthens their impressive back catalogue.
This duality is no better echoed than through V’s lead single, ‘Maps’ – a stomping pop rock number that departs from their trademark funk-rock style, all the while delivering a strong chorus reminiscent of their earlier days, lyrically and instrumentally. New single ‘Animals’ follows up with a big, hooky chorus, although it’s not until ‘It Was Always You’ that we see the real progression that Maroon 5 have made. Whilst ‘Maps’ delves somewhat into unfamiliar territory, ironically it becomes one of the more familiar sounding tracks on the album, as V ultimately ventures into pastures new and (here it is) electronic.
Overexposed featured the odd tinkering with this direction, but V really pulls out all the stops. ‘It Was Always You’ is a haunting, upbeat ballad on a bed of drum machines and synthesizers, ‘Come Back For You’ – seemingly plucked right out of the 80s with its chunky bassline – hits the mark somewhere between Phil Collins and Prince, and ‘Feelings’ is one of the strongest tracks of the album, delivering a combination of cool and sexy. Elsewhere, Levine’s commendable vocal talents are excellent in ‘Sugar’, the album’s most pop-orientated upbeat track, which wouldn’t sound too alien in a Michael Jackson collection. The band’s journey to superstardom means that the production has been upped a notch on V too; the likes of OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder and hit-making duo StarGate making appearances.
For all of this, it’s the album’s slower and more delicate moments that really stand out and reflect the Maroon 5 of old. ‘Unkiss Me’ is a sombre number, as Levine details his struggle to overcome a failed relationship, whilst album closer ‘My Heart Is Open’, a duet with Gwen Stefani, recounts the same topic over a solitary piano. These two tracks serve as lyrical highlights from the album, lines such as “you don’t have to love me, if you don’t wanna” (‘Unkiss Me’) and “I can’t spend another minute getting over loving you” (‘My Heart Is Open’) not only highlighting Levine’s deep lyricism, but his ability to produce simplistic and meaningful songs about love. You could hazard a guess at saying these two tracks will be fan favourites when played live too, given their relative similarity to the likes of ‘She Will Be Loved’ and ‘Payphone’.
At just over 40 minutes, it’s hardly fair to say that the album drags at all, but there are certainly moments of filler on V. ‘In Your Pocket’ is instantly forgettable, whilst the StarGate produced ‘California Leaving’ (also co-written by fun.’s Nate Reuss) is a dire attempt at emulating something similar to Overexposed’s ‘Daylight’.
These entries are forgivable however, as even the most iconic albums come with some sub-par album tracks. All in all, Maroon 5 have delivered again with V, which within the confines of its 11 songs, spectacularly and accurately embodies everything that Maroon 5 is in 2014 – an exciting fusion of sexy, electro floorfillers and classic pop rock tracks, all the while appealing to new and existing fans. Their efforts may not have always set the world alight, but through their sound, artwork, production or collaborations, Maroon 5 should be applauded for their consistent ability to stay relevant and contemporary throughout their twelve year history.
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