I have just purchased Maroon 5's new debut album, and believe me it was well worth the seven dollars and ninety-nine cents I had to sacrifice to obtain it. I will admit, the real reason I bought it was because it was so cheap compared to the usual fifteen dollars you have to pay for a CD, but after I listened to it I thought that eight dollars was a little cheap for this excellent funky, smooth, easy-listening, rock album. The first time I put this CD in my player I was surprised in just how much I enjoyed every single song I heard. Now how often do you hear a CD that consists of twelve well- written sweet melodic songs, one right after the other? This CD holds in it the very essential musical fundamentals that make a perfect rock album: talented musicians, a singer with a high ranged voice, high-pitched and even hard-core guitar solos, a drummer that can keep a smooth-rhythmic beat, and songs that include both intimate lyrics and a funky yet melancholy melody. There is a lack of mainstream rock music that embodies these positive attributes, but Maroon 5 is not comparable to the typical mainstream rock bands.

The first track "Harder to Breath," which is their first single, has a nice funky feel to it that is especially manifested through the clean, crisp sounds of James Valentine's excellent abilities as the lead guitarist of the band. Their first track, as good as it is, leads right into my favorite song on the Album: "This Love." "This Love" contains a funky dance beat that is revealed through the comfortable sounds of repeated piano chords and a unique guitar effect that is signature to this song and perhaps what makes this song so different then the rest of the songs on the album. Whenever Valentine picks a series of strings at a time in a harmonious clean way, they give off an echoing sound that obviously comes from one of the many different effects that Valentine uses from his guitar throughout the C.D. "This Love" has kind of a 1970's funk feel to it coupled with

a modem R&B-rock like feel that creates a very musically diverse style and perhaps the most appropriate combination of music styles for a love song on a rock CD. Though this unique style that has come to be Maroon 5's signature sound is made extremely evident in their second track, "This Love," it can be heard by the listener throughout this entire well-arranged album.

I should point out that as hard-core as Maroon 5 can get, there album is entitled "Songs About Jane," and that is exactly who the songs are about: Jane. All the songs are interrelated, tending to focus on this lost love that was once so beautiful to the singer. The vocalist, Adam Levine, can put these 'songs about Jane' across in such a sincere way. With his high-range and soulful style of singing, Levine does not make these love songs monotonous and cheesy, but strong, certain, and songs like "She Will be Loved" are even extremely passionate with their smooth rhythmic melodies. I have listened to this CD every day sense I bought it and am not at all sick of it yet. Why? because it is different then the modem mainstream rock that you hear on the radio. It's lyrics are clean, aggressive at times, but equally up-lifting and positive and does not degrade anyone. Maroon 5 has proved itself to be an excellent band through their funky rhythms and sweet melodies, I await the day I get to see them live for the first time. .