Maroon 5 | It Won't Be Soon Before Long

The new Maroon 5 record, It Won't Be Soon Before Long finally hit the digital and literal shelves last week. It's been five years since the quintet released their multi-platinum national debut, Songs About Jane, so I sat in great anticipation last Tuesday morning as the new tracks swiftly downloaded into my iTunes library.

Before I go much further, I should let you know that I generally subscribe to the school of thought that an album is, and should be, one complete work of art. The Beatles' Abby Road is a fantastic example of a complete artwork. I wouldn't dare skip any one track from start to finish.

Sadly, this is not the case for It Won't Be Soon Before Long. I was frustrated because the front half of the album features some really strong singles like "If I Never See Your Face Again", "Little of Your Time" and "Wake Up Call" that give us another glimpse of the rock/funk/electric mix we've come to love and expect from Maroon 5. But the back half is plagued with overproduced sappy junk that seem to drone on far too long. Not to mention the fact that there seems to be no line of logic to the track order. One minute your adrenaline is pumping along with the solid groove and melodic hooks of "Can't Stop" when all of a sudden, you hit the overly dramatic ballad, "Goodnight Goodnight", like a brick wall. There just doesn't seem to be an overall cohesiveness to this record. One moment it's fun and fresh, and the next it's merely a stale, reheated version of bad '80s pop.

In the end, It Won't Be Soon Before Long offers some great singles with solid hooks, but I'm not sure Maroon 5 can afford to wait five more years to put out another record. With all the hype and speculation about this project, I'm sure there will be others who will share in my disappointment and letdown.

I must be getting old

Funny story.

Last week, I sent out a press packet containing various items relating to Threefold to a woman who writes music reviews for independent artists. I spent a lot of time, thought and energy hoping to make a good first impression, seeing as though it was an unsolicited submission.

I got an e-mail from her a few days later thanking me for my efforts, but pointed out the fact that I FAILED TO INCLUDE THE CD!

So, kids, here's the lesson for today: If you're going to submit your band for review, BE SURE TO INCLUDE THE RECORDING WITH YOUR PRESS PACK.

Lucky for me, she thought it was hilarious and asked that I try again.

Top Ten Albums on my iPod

I was going through my iTunes today, and I was curious to see which albums I've listened to the most. I wasn't too surprised:

1. Derek Webb | Mockingbird
2. Jars of Clay | Good Monsters
3. Jars of Clay | Redemption Songs
4. MuteMath | Reset E.P.
5. Jack Johnson | Brushfire Fairytales
6. Marc Broussard | Carencro
7. Elizabeth Foster | San Francisco
8. Justin Rosolino | Wonderlust
9. Death Cab for Cutie | Plans
10. Derek Webb | I See Things Upside Down

Bear in mind this is the list of albums I've listened to the most over the past year. I'm sure while I was growing up, there were albums I listened to more often that would be much too incriminating for this public forum.

The fun is finally over

So last week, I received a steel reinforced, locking mailbox on my doorstep. It was a bittersweet sight to see the 45 pound box at my feet as I realized the fun is now over. That mailbox was the third and final consolation prize from my very brief appearance on the Price is Right earlier this year.

Even though I don't, as of yet, own a house, I'm sure I'll find some functional use for this bank safe on a stick. The thing is thicker and heavier than all heck, so I'm sure my Ken Griffey, Jr. baseball cards will find refuge from would-be robbers.

It could be worse

I went to see my beloved Mariners tonight only to be tortured by another dismal showing by a team destined to end the year somewhere around the .500 mark. We saw yet another miserable outing from starting pitcher Miguel Batista who gave up 7 runs to the Yankees through two and a third innings. Poor base running and virtually no clutch hitting also played into the evening's outcome.

The good news in all of this is that Felix Hernandez is scheduled to pitch again Tuesday after being on the DL for three weeks. Let's just hope we can string a few wins together to make the summer interesting.

Andre Osenga | The Morning

Lately, my iPod has been stuck on Andrew Osenga's newest album, The Morning. Most know Andrew as the former frontman of the Normals or the current electric guitar player for Caedmon's Call. But if that's the only context you have of Andy, then you're missing out

I have to admit, the album didn't grab me immediately. That I will attribute to the fact that sometimes, I'm just stupid. There's a fantastic example of intelligent, meaningful songwriting on the album. The style is an independent mix of pop, rock, alternative and folk that is perfect on a long drive. I say that because the record takes you on a journey through a spectrum of emotion and lyrical content.

And if the music isn't a good enough reason for you to purchase a copy right now, you should do it anyway because he's simply a great guy with a great heart (I spent some time with him last summer when we hired him to play electric guitar on our new record). Oh yeah, and he's a much better blogger than me.