Overexposed
Maroon 5
A&M/Octone
While many of us are still enjoying the hit song “Moves Like Jagger,” Maroon 5’s new album provides a full set of fresh tunes that show a new and more sensitive side of this popular group.
“Overexposed” is the group’s fourth studio album and has already generated two radio hits with “One More Night” and the Wiz Khalifa collaboration “Payphone.” But these two singles are just a sample of an album that demonstrates Maroon 5’s growth and development since emerging onto the music scene in 2002 with its debut album, “Songs about Jane.” This time around, there are more collaborations and more experimentation with ballad-like songs, in addition to the soft piano melodies and dominant electric guitar of classic Maroon 5.
The tearful “Wipe Your Eyes” and nostalgic “Beautiful Goodbye” reveal the sensitive side of Maroon 5 that fans have gotten glimpses of in past albums, but is predominant throughout “Overexposed.”
The first track, “One More Night,” effectively sets the stage for the rest of the album by showcasing frontman Adam Levine’s falsetto, as well as the role of the other Maroon 5 musicians, who provide the steady background rhythm that makes listeners want to literally move to the beat. This song makes clear that Maroon 5 is by no means a one-man show.
The lyrics and tone create a vibe similar to that of “Moves Like Jagger,” making “One More Night” one of the catchiest songs on the album.
The following song, “Payphone,” has been heavily promoted as the group’s first single from “Overexposed” and is one of the album’s strongest tracks. Maroon 5 takes this song to the next level by collaborating with Wiz Khalifa. This song contains much of what has worked for Maroon 5 in the past ““ Levine’s vocals and catchy lyrics ““ but also includes a bit of hip-hop, which makes it even more dynamic and appealing to those outside of the group’s pop-rock fanbase.
Another hit track is the upbeat and fast-paced “Lucky Strike.” In the beginning, there are a few hard strums of electric guitar that then transition into a mixture of steady taps on the drum as the electric guitar fades into the background. Levine’s lyrics combine moments of communicating with the audience and the subject of the song as he sings, “You’re such an instigator / you want to play the game / take or leave it, that’s her.” Other tracks follow suit in this conversational style that draws listeners in.
“Overexposed” also contains more tracks that deal with heartbreak and life after love than did previous Maroon 5 albums. In “The Man Who Never Lied,” Levine sings “I just couldn’t break your heart / like you did mine yesterday,” and that sorrowful tone continues throughout subsequent songs such as “Love Somebody.”
Levine’s vocals really get a chance to shine on these tracks, which dispose of the harder sound of some of the more fast-paced songs on the album.
“Sad,” for example, contains only piano accompaniment, rather than the sound of a full band. In the chorus of “Wipe Your Eyes” Levine’s voice is calming, lulling listeners as he sings “Tonight before you fall asleep / I’ll run my thumb across your cheek / Cry, “˜cause I’m here to wipe your eyes.”
The deluxe edition of this album also contains four additional tracks, including three remixes of “Payphone” and a revamped rock and roll version of Prince’s hit song “Kiss.” The original studio version of “Payphone” is far better than the remixes, but the cover of “Kiss” puts a clever twist on this song by slowing the beat down significantly, making it easier to hear the lyrics.
“Overexposed” showcases what Maroon 5 does best ““ songs with strong vocals and pop-rock sounds as well as poignant and catchy lyrics. With a couple of new twists, this album may be Maroon 5’s best yet.