Reviews

“The Maine” Are Entering A New Era With Self-Titled Album

When I gave this album a listen I got reminded of my love for Pop Punk and how I listened to The Maine’s previous albums religiously when I was 17. The Maine has brought out their self titled record and define the bands new sound in 10 tracks. Just like the album cover art the atmosphere is dark, moody and electric. The guys from Arizona managed to create the perfect modern rock album for late night car drives in summer.

Jump right in and follow along while reading.

How To Start Off An Album…

A guitar riff leads us into the more pop-ish first song of the record “dose no.2”. There’s immediate good vibes that continue through the following songs. “blame” hits you with its upbeat rhythm and lyrically captivating verses. This record has a lot of driving electric guitars and drums. The Maine gave the genre a modern twist with synthies and cool bass lines sprinkled in the tracks. “leave in five” adds a groovy vibe to the mix and makes you want to get up and dance freely. The variety of sounds on this album makes it feel like a true image of the band at this place in time. New influences on each song make it interesting and experimental but still cohesive as a whole.

Lyrical Favourites

Honest and reflective lyrics are covering themes like love, insecurity and escapism. In “funny how?” the band included a slow ballad with an acoustic guitar leading through beautiful lyrics about letting down your guard. “Ain’t it funny how / How I didn’t know before you I was bleeding / Now I breathe again / All my walls are falling down“ The bridge of this track is my personal highlight of the album. The raw emotion and build up to an outro sounding like a beating heart got me from the first listen. The song is a reminder about how life always has a surprise for you and it is easier if you let people close to you and have friends that won’t leave your side whatever happens.

Another favourite is track five “the mood i’m in / jsyk” because it changes the pace of the album. O’Callaghan start the song with the lines “ Well I could give you words / To tell you where my head’s been”, which basically explains the purpose of the song. The introspective lyrics reflect on a period where things get too much and you need to take care of yourself first but loose track of the people around you. It’s definitely the right track if you are up at night and overthinking life. The build up at the end of the song gives me goosebumps every time and makes you want to play this song on repeat.

Final Thoughts

The last two songs “cars & caution signs” and “spiraling” perfectly sum up all the bands strengths with the lead singer John O’Callaghan’s captivating voice, catchy instrumental parts and sceam-along lyrics that make you dream of their concerts.

I am happy I stumbled upon this new release and rediscovered my teenage obsession for pop punk and The Maine. This album shows how far the band has come and developed. Their self-titled record shows how the musicians from Arizona newly define their sound and it keeps you excited about where they’re heading to in the future.

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