I have a confession to make: I'm completely and utterly addicted to this CD.
It didn't start this way -- I didn't expect to be so taken in by this modest
little pop platter. The press sheet proclaims "sure to land on many critics'
best-of-the-year lists", and I think to myself "suuuure it will". However,
for once, the label folks may not be too far off the mark -- this disc has a
way of getting under your skin and putting itself on infinite repeat in your
brain until you can't stand it anymore and you just have to hear
"Blindfold Follies" or "Dance Floor Flirt" just one more time.
For a quick description of the Maroons' sound, think of Elliott Smith's
delicate, hushed songcraft (circa Either/Or) on a collision course
with Jason Falkner's robust, shiny, exquisitely rendered power pop. The
Smith comparison makes sense, because singer/songwriter Jon Moen used to be
his drummer. However, with this release, the multitalented Moen steps out
from the Disheveled One's shadow, and I dare say even manages to one-up him.
At first, Moen's sugar-sweet vocal stylings got on my nerves; usually I like
my pop injected with a little more piss and vinegar than the flavor that The
Maroons offer. However, something told me to keep listening, keep listening,
and it wasn't long before a few of these songs were permanently etched into
the folds of my gray matter. Songs like the utterly infections title track,
the wistful "Lonely Summer", the very Beatlesque "Blindfold Follies", and
the jubilant, rocking "9 ½" simply have that je ne sais quoi that
elevates them way, waay above the average power-pop confection. It could be
the obvious skill that went into crafting these gems; it could be the fact
that while they all mine similar territory, none of these songs sound too
much alike; it could just be the utterly infectious vocal melodies and hooks
a-plenty that riddle this album.
To be fair, there are a few instances where the band sinks into a syrupy
mire. The main offender in this respect is "Can You Feel", whose vocal
melody is cloying rather than addictive, and grates on the nerves a bit.
Also, the record loses some of its teeth toward its end -- rather than going
out with a bang, it sort of peters out with two of the slower, less engaging
tracks on the whole record, "Kevin's" and "The Lori Commission". However, in
their own right, these songs are really just fine, and it's mainly their
placement at the end of the disc that I take issue with rather than the
songs themselves.
However, these complaints are piddling in the face of a record that gets it
just about 95% right, and despite my initial reservations, this band has me
completely converted. The Maroons have created a modest, image-free yet
indubitably fantastic pop record in an age where some folks are debating
whether or not that's even still possible. Moen's songs reveal new secrets
with each listen; they're arranged beautifully, and are simply watertight in
every respect. Although it remains to be seen whether or not it will
actually land in my top 10 at year's end, the possibility that it will is
much more likely than I had originally expected.
— 6 June 2002
