tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post4464967848874734712..comments2024-03-02T07:40:22.786+03:00Comments on Only Solitaire blog: Barenaked Ladies: MaroonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-48186889564038278792013-07-09T01:32:31.741+04:002013-07-09T01:32:31.741+04:00Their best post-Gordon album IMO (though that'...Their best post-Gordon album IMO (though that's definitely not a consensus, I've seen just as many folks reward that title to Everything To Everyone, Stunt, or even Snacktime as I have Maroon). Its highs reach just as high as those on Stunt and it's one of the very few BNL albums without a single dud in sight. We just get great song after great song. The first half of the album especially feels like that because it's almost completely upbeat. Pitch Me has mellow moments but for the most part it's power-pop nirvana until you hit Conventioneers. Though I do acknowledge that this approach does result in one of BNL's least diverse albums, and some of it could sound a little samey to some people.<br /><br />Pinch Me may be a sequel to One Week but it is a very successful one, tweaking the formula of pop-song-with-silly-rapping-in-it plenty to serve quite a very different purpose than One Week. One Week could easily qualify in the novelty category, whereas Pinch Me is more serious and actually about something more significant than pop-culture references. It's also given far more time to develop and flesh itself out. What it lacks in the pure joy of spontaneity, it gains in rock-solid songwriting and arranging.<br /><br />Maroon still has pretty fun lyrics through and through, but very little here qualifies as being overly silly or jokey, it's the perfect balance really. And the more serious songs like Conventioneers and Helicopters come off quite well.<br /><br />Kevin Hearn's first contribution to the band might also be his very best. A lot of what was so great about When You Dream applies to it as well, but Kevin's humble vocal and pure honestly (he wrote it on his might-have-been deathbed) elevate it even higher to me. It also functions tremendously as the coda to the album. Tonight Is The Night I Fell Asleep At The Wheel is the surreal moment near death when you can't believe what is happening to you, but gradually start to make sense of it and you mind is racing a mile a minute. Hidden Sun is finally coming to peace with the circumstances and gracefully floating towards the light. A tremendous pairing.<br /><br />Baby Seat isn't among their greatest collaborations ever but it's a solid sendoff for the Duffy/Page songwriting duo which wouldn't be returning for another BNL album (though it would continue to bear fruit on Page's two solo albums).<br /><br />Sell Sell Sell is a delightful showbiz sendup. Go Home may or may not have the hookiest melody on the record, but it's definitely the bounciest. Humour Of The Situation was once my favourite track. It's not anymore but there's something to be said for being the most upbeat track on an already very upbeat album.<br /><br />So yeah, I like this album a lot. Very consistent songwriting, and also by far their biggest success at being a serious rock band. I will cop to a little extra nostalgia here since the band's tour for this album was the first big rock concert I ever saw and I still remember having a great time at the show today.Kenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04990529203943926383noreply@blogger.com