The Bottom Line
It has been a long wait since Maroon 5 took a long road to the upper reaches of the pop charts with their album Songs About Jane and the singles "This Love" and "She Will Be Loved." "Makes Me Wonder," the first single from the upcoming second studio set It Won't Be Soon Before Long, is unfortunately an underwhelming return and generates fears of a sophomore curse.
Listen to "Makes Me Wonder."
Pros
- Funky, soulful groove
- Will fit pop radio playlists like a glove
Cons
- Forgettable
- Trite lyrics
Description
- Funky guitar with a rocking edge
- Smooth pop melody
- Soulful vocals delivering lackluster lyrics
Guide Review - Maroon 5 - Makes Me Wonder
For serious fans of Maroon 5, there are no surprises here. For those looking for a stretch beyond the grooves of Songs About Jane, you will be disappointed. The band are again mining a similar pop-soul vein to the breakthrough smash "This Love." Unfortunately, it's no longer the breath of fresh air the band seemed to be 3 years ago.
Lyrically, "Makes Me Wonder" appears to take the band back into singer Adam Levine's tortured love life, except that perhaps now he is finally saying goodbye to the woman who wronged him. Unfortunately, the farewell comes without the sparks of wit and cleverness that animated much of Songs About Jane. Now it all just seems trite and repetitive.
On the up side "Makes Me Wonder" should fit mainstream pop and adult contemporary radio formats perfectly. This is the type of song you may find yourself singing along to but not realize at all the name of the song or the band. It is familiar pop-soul with a faintly 70's feel. The band shows they can still play a tight arrangement, and Adam Levine still has some of the best pipes in the pop world, but the songs need to be more memorable than this to keep Maroon 5 at the top.
