Maroon 5 - Songs About Jane

Joined in a matrimony of rock backdrops, soul swagger and true R&B spirit, Maroon 5 divide genres against themselves and prove it’s healthier to have a balanced diet than a one-dimensional musical overdose. This fleshed out five-some have taken their sound leaps and bounds above their last incarnation as ska-rock rompers as Songs About Jane, their latest release, sees them growing into the experienced pop-rock property they were bound to mature into. Although currently below the major label radar screen, it’s a wonder that Maroon 5 haven’t landed a deal and forged popular territory as this latest full-length has fingerprints of popular classics all over it. From Faith No More to Blues Traveler in the form of Matt Wallace’s production cred and hitting big-time summer events along as support for Sheryl Crow, this quintet are sure to capture a glance as rightfully heirs to the major label soul-rock troupe. But despite where Maroon 5 sit on the echelon of popularity, their music, if a bit tiresome, bends genres while reveling in the classic pop realm. “This Love,” full of whimsy hooks and soul-infused rock, conquers similar territory that Blues Traveler covered in the past while finding contemporary commonality in Detroit’s the Bellrays. We might be in the midst of sexual explicit hip-hop and smarmy rock, but Maroon 5 are sure to catch a few ears with their genre-blending cocktails. [www.maroon5.com]