It has potential... but it's overrated...
Review Score: 








(6/10)
Amidst hordes of boy bands and teeny boppers, this album stands out in that it is actually a work of ART; granted, many of the musical and lyrical elements are trite and overused, but the songs all have a distinctive style that pervades the album--evidence that the band has put work into their music rather than paying off a lyricist and a composer. There is definitely potential here.
However, many aspects of this album are somewhat, if not highly overrated. I find it saddening that Maroon 5 has been so often commended for their original lyrics and music--what happened to the days of bands such as Led Zeppelin, who composed, wrote, and performed nearly ALL of their music? And for those who have all raved about Levine's unique voice--have you ever heard of NSYNC? A mildly persuasive speaker could easily have persuaded me that this entire album was sung by Justin Timberlake.
Style: distinctive, but a few of the songs are a bit too obviously influenced by earlier artists; definitely has the potential to be developed into something unique and interesting. 8/10.
Lyrics: a little trite, but hats off to Adam Levine for actually writing them himself; it's better than it could be. 6/10.
Vocals: Mr. Levine, meet Mr. Timberlake; but the range is decent, though the falsetto gets a bit annoying. 6/10.
Music: at least they're playing their own guitar; decent, but not anything particularly remarkable. 7/10.
Overall verdict: 7/10.
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