Review Summary: What did I just listen to?
I rarely listen to music I don't like, however when it comes to
The Maine I've made an exception. Not for any special reason other than I never really review anything I don't like and composing a negative report of something I genuinely dislike seems like a good way to pass a lazy summer day in So Cal. So what has caused me to write about something that bores the living crap out of me? Well.. boredom mainly, and because I'm an angry soul that feels like sharing my displeasure with you kind people. Well maybe I'm not
too angry and maybe that's because when listening to
Can't Stop, Won't Stop I didn't really feel any unusual emotions, boredom mainly, or maybe it's irritation..
So have you heard the song
Everything I Ask For? It's catchy it's safe and it get's annoying very quick, your basic bland pop-punk single. Watered down for the masses and the little substance it holds isn't very appetizing. Could it be the overused four chords the band seem to cling to? If not that then the simple and overused drum patterns might just have you paying attention to the clock sooner rather than later. It's not as if the music is
horrid but trying to distinguish
Into Your Arms from any other cliche "boy likes girl" song is like trying to distinguish The Maine from half of the other boring bands they share a niche with, the lyrics to the song are actually quite laughable when thinking of how downright bland they are -
I'm fallin' in love
But it's fallin' apart.
I need to find my way back to the start.
When we were in love.
I'm pretty sure that's the chorus.. And yeah the rest of the album doesn't fare much better in terms of lyrics, unless of course the overused "boy likes girl, boy isn't good enough" type theme is what you're binging for. I mean honestly just look at the album titles,
This is the End?
Time to Go? Seriously can we get any less imaginative? Probably not and if you pay even the slightest attention to the bands sound you'll likely notice how all of their songs somehow manage to bleed into a bleak and emotionless mass of power chords and painfully simple bass play. I can see how
Kiss and Sell made the attempt at edginess but The Maine still manage to fall somewhere between a less catchy All Time Low and a bland Yellowcard knockoff. The over produced overly safe execution is yet another flaw to stomach, if you bother even listening to the whole thing. Being well produced isn't a bad thing but The Maine don't have that much interesting to pay attention to in the first place and if the album sounds over polished that's because it is. Honestly after just listening to
We All Role Along and I already can't remember what it sounds like. Maybe I'm being critical but this really is a poor musical outing at best, well at least it's their first, time to improve right?
So is there anything to enjoy here? Honestly.. not really. Granted the music would be fitting for the background music of an uneventful pre-teen slumber party there's really not much to enjoy here. Everything is basic pop-punk and
Can't Stop Won't Stop doesn't add anything meaningful to the genre. Surely pop-punk has been flooded over the past years but when bands like Say Anything, Fenix*TX and Motion City Soundtrack do it so much better there isn't really a reason to bother with
Can't Stop Won't Stop.
"She loves music but she hates my band"
oh.... really. I wonder why..
