Maroon 5 - It Won't Be Soon Before Long Album Reviews & Song Lyrics

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Maroon 5 "It Won't Be Soon Before Long" album

- Release date : May 2007 -

It Won't Be Soon Before Long is Maroon 5's second studio album, released on May 22, 2007. It came almost a full five years after their debut, Songs About Jane. The name was inspired by a phrase the band adopted to keep themselves motivated while on their tour. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 429,484 copies in its first week.

It Won't Be Soon Before Long has twelve songs, plus 7 bonus tracks. The band stated in interviews that the album has a different feel to it from the Songs About Jane. The songs are not all based on one specific relationship, as in Jane; and also have a different sound than their first album, being more electric and drawing inspiration from such artists as the Talking Heads, Michael Jackson and Prince. A review written prior to the album's release described the songs as having a very retro feel. Adam Levine explained that this record is a little more self-confident and powerful lyrically: "...you can dance to it, there's a little more attitude."

According to Levine working with other artists had influences on the album: "Kanye West and Alicia Keys are amazing talents, in totally different ways. Just seeing such amazing people working in the studio. I definitely took things away from them."

The chorus of "Nothing Lasts Forever" is the same used in the Kanye West single "Heard 'Em Say", which features Adam Levine with exclusion to the line, "...the distance between us makes it so hard to stay...". The song has also featured in a trailer for the movie Definitely, Maybe.

Although the album had some explicit lyrics this has not earned it a Parental Advisory label.

It Won't Be Soon Before Long was reissued in expanded form July 8 and June 29 in Australia via A&M/Octone. The package included a bonus DVD with four music videos and a full concert shot last year in Montreal.

In addition, the original CD is bolstered with five B-sides: "Infatuation," "Miss You Love You," "Until You're Over Me," "Story" and "Losing My Mind." Also tacked onto the track list is "If I Never See Your Face Again," Maroon 5's new single featuring Rihanna.

"It Won't Be Soon Before Long" album tracks and lyrics

"It Won't Be Soon Before Long" album reviews

Maroon 5's 2002 debut album, Songs About Jane, was the kind of hit that doesn't happen often in the new millennium -- a genuine word-of-mouth hit whose popularity grew steadily after its release, largely due to the sweet, sunny hit "This Love," a song sly and catchy enough to stay on the adult pop charts for years without wearing out its welcome. It also was catchy enough to engender years of goodwill. Five years of goodwill, in fact, as the band toured heavily while slowly tinkering away on their second album, finally delivering It Won't Be Soon Before Long (its title perhaps a pun on the gap between records, perhaps not) half a decade after Songs About Jane. If that delay sounds like a symptom of sophomore jitters, that's not exactly true, since during that long stretch between albums Maroon 5 worked Songs About Jane and, in a sense, that album wasn't strictly their first album, either. Maroon 5 evolved out of Kara's Flowers, a post-grunge pop band whose 1997 debut never took off, not even when their debut was reissued in the wake of Maroon's success, but it did provide the group with the foundation for their success; it's where they paid their dues and learned how to be a pop band. Traces of Kara's Flowers could be heard in Maroon's rockier moments on their debut, but under their new name, the group began to develop an infatuation with blue-eyed soul-pop, which they wisely develop on It Won't Be Soon Before Long. More than develop, they modernize it, borrowing elements of Justin Timberlake's stylized synthesized soul, but Adam Levine is wise enough to know that he's no young colt, like JT. He knows that he's a pop guy, somewhat in the tradition of Hall & Oates, but he isn't trying to be retro, he's trying to fill that void, making records that are melodic, stylish, and soulful, which It Won't Be Soon Before Long certainly is.

In every respect, It Won't Be Soon is a bigger album than its predecessor: hooks pile up one after another, there's not an ounce of fat on the songs, the production is so immaculate that it glistens. If there were lingering elements of Maroon 5's alt-rock past on Songs About Jane -- primarily in its lazy, hazy vibe -- they're gone now, replaced by the sleek, assured sound of a band that's eager to embrace its status as the big American mainstream pop band of the decade. But Maroon 5 isn't desperately grasping at the brass ring, they're playing it smart, building upon the core strengths of their debut and crafting a record that's designed to appeal to many different listeners, from teens crushing on Nelly Furtado's R&B makeover to adults looking for something smooth and melodic. It Won't Be Soon Before Long appeals to both audiences with an ease that seems effortless, but like any modern blockbuster, this album was shepherded by several different teams of producers, all brought in to emphasize a different personality within the group. The bulk of the record was cut with Spike Stent and Mike Elizondo -- Stent worked with U2, Oasis, Björk, and Gwen Stefani, while Elizondo had produced Fiona Apple and Pink -- but Queens of the Stone Age producer Eric Valentine was brought in for a couple of cuts, as was Mark Endert, who mixed "This Love." There may have been three different sets of producers, but the album is streamlined and seamless, never seeming calculated even if it was clearly made with an eye on mass appeal, and there are two reasons for that. First, Maroon 5 has gelled as a band, developing a clean, crisp attack that may bear traces of its influences -- there are knowing references to Prince, the Police, even OutKast sprinkled throughout (the keyboard on "Little of Your Time" is a direct nod to "Hey Ya") -- but it's a sound that's instantly identifiable as the band's own signature. Nowhere is that more evident than in how they can give soulful grooves like "If I Never See Your Face Again" a rock edge -- or how they can suddenly explode into shards of noise as they do on the coda of "Kiwi" -- or how when the electronic instruments dominate the production, the music still breathes like the work of an actual band, not like something that was constructed on a computer. But like with any good blue-eyed soul, the reason that this album works is the songs themselves. Even the flashiest production-driven tracks here -- the opening one-two punch of "If I Never See Your Face Again" and "Makes Me Wonder" -- aren't about feel; they're about the songs, which are uniformly tight and tuneful, sounding better with repeated plays, the way any radio-oriented pop should. If some of the ballads aren't as distinguished as the livelier tracks, they nevertheless are as sharply crafted as the rest, and the end result is that It Won't Be Soon Before Long is that rare self-stylized blockbuster album that sounds as big and satisfying as was intended.

*** by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide ***

Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine may or may not be the carousing ''man-whore'' that Page Six pegs him to be. (Did the beady-eyed soul singer really speed-dump Jessica Simpson via text message? Who knows? Who actually cares?) But judging from his band's sophomore album, it certainly seems like he views romance as terribly fleeting. It Won't Be Soon Before Long is a fast-moving collection of fizzy but entertaining come-ons, get-offs, breakups, and makeups. There's not a lot to fall deeply in love with here, but Levine and crew understand the importance of packing as much thrill as possible into each tryst, leaving you with mostly good feelings and no lasting emotional scars.

Before Long establishes its smarmy, smooth-operator vibe immediately with the droll optimism of a grown man on permanent spring break. ''If I never see your face again,'' sings Levine, nonchalantly, on the track of the same name, ''I don't mind 'cause we've gone much further than I thought we'd get tonight.'' Just like he's rumored to do with the wham, bam, thank you ma'ams who make up his tabloid fodder, Levine leaves us with his true gift — that smug, R&B-slick deadpan.

Yes, the singer seems detached — cold, even — but over a plucky dance-floor groove like the single ''Makes Me Wonder,'' there's a twisted logic to his dispassionate delivery (a steady, nasally distillation of early Sting and Jamiroquai's goofy-hatted singer Jay Kay). He's eager to give up on reconciliation and boogie over to the next conquest, singing ''It really makes me wonder if I ever gave a f--- about you.''

But whether breaking hearts brusquely or semi-sweetly as on ''Nothing Lasts Forever,'' Maroon 5 score with their big, memorable, melodic hooks. Tracks like ''Little of Your Time'' and ''Can't Stop'' kick off with staccato, chunky but toothless funk. Within seconds, though, both swell in the grandiose pop manner of the band's ubiquitous 2006 Grammy award clincher, ''This Love.''

No pickup artist is perfect, and Maroon 5 definitely exhibit some slackin' to their mackin'. The cheap Prince knockoff ''Kiwi'' rides a dull bass line to an icky chorus that's unlikely to drive the ladies anywhere but away. ''Sweet Kiwi,'' croons Levine, trying too hard to convey sexy over a guitar vamp worthy of '70s porn and little else, ''your juices drippin' down my chin.'' But aside from the occasional libido overflow and a few too many riffs cribbed directly from Synchronicity, Maroon 5's flirty new set is fine for at least an evening's worth of wild times. Whether you'll want to bring it home to Mom the next day is another story. B

*** by Neil Drumming, Entertainment Weekly ***

For a band that sold more than 4 million copies of its first album, Maroon 5 sure gets called "irritating" a lot. The rep is partly because of singer Adam Levine's busy, successful pursuit of L.A.'s most visible young blonds, but it's also because the band deploys its Wild Cherry-flavored dance hits with such sweat-free competence that rooting for them feels superfluous.

At least that 2002 debut has a few raggedy moments; now Maroon 5 has suited up in formal wear and gone in for the kill. "It Won't Be Soon Before Long," the band's sophomore outing (in stores today), is an icy-hot blend of electro-funk and blue-eyed soul that works its cruel streak with the confidence of Daniel Craig's James Bond.

Even after 50-plus years of mixed-up musical legacies, any white artist who takes on rhythm and blues has to figure out an angle that proves he or she is not just another thief. Being a sexy creep is a good one, turning musical appropriation into just one aspect of a lifestyle that's all about sophistication and moral compromise. This pose is more sustainable than Jamiroquai's one-love cheerfulness, which ends up seeming naive, or Justin Timberlake's chocolate-beneath-the-skin insiderness, which is hard to sustain.

The Daryl Hall of "Maneater" is a sexy creep; so is Roxy Music's Bryan Ferry, Police-era Sting and, of course, Mick Jagger, as was Michael Hutchence of INXS. Levine finds his own way into this role by doing away with the treacly tendencies that marred Maroon 5's earlier work and reveling in the seamy, bitter, obsessive side of romance.

He's taken his band with him down this coolly lit corridor. On aggravatingly danceable tracks such as "A Little of Your Time" and the single "Makes Me Wonder," guitarist James Valentine and bassist Mickey Madden reinvestigate the moment when New Wave rock got the funk, spewing out lines that mix the former's edgy concision with the latter's joint-popping rhythmic genius. New drummer Matt Flynn keeps everything crisp and organized, and keyboardist Jesse Carmichael has a grin playing Trivial Pursuit with Prince and Michael Jackson lifts.

"Can't Stop" might be the best Michael Jackson simulacrum ever, not only because it emulates the fallen master's fetishes — rock guitar, hyper-tense rhythms, little melodic flourishes that simulate loss of control — but because the lyric, about the physical experience of sexual thrall, careens into the kind of self-exposure that made "Billie Jean" and "In the Closet" fascinating. "Kiwi" is derivative of Prince, but one can't help wondering if the title is an homage to Hutchence, because it has that predatory feel that made the Australian singer a top-notch nightcrawler.

Of course, there are ballads, also catchy but even more thematically unnerving, because they're all about the sentimental frisson of breaking up or getting caught doing wrong. (This is where the band gets its Sting on, referencing "Every Breath You Take" repeatedly.)

Will girls swoon to this stuff? Not if they're wise. But many are not. By mastering musical and emotional ruthlessness, Maroon 5 has made a deal with the devil, and its powers will be hard to resist.

*** by Ann Powers, Los Angeles Times ***

It's technically only been three years since Maroon 5's breakthrough hit "This Love," but judging by the title of their sophomore effort, It Won't Be Soon Before Long, the band has been experiencing performance anxiety induced by the unusually lengthy chunk of time since their 2002 debut. They're down a drummer (founding member Ryan Dusick exited the group due to health reasons and was replaced by touring musician Matt Flynn) but luckily Maroon 5 hasn't lost its mojo. Lead single "Makes Me Wonder" is a worthy successor to "This Love"; it's a catchy disco-rock confection with the elastic strut of Jamiroquai and the soul-pop warmth of Stevie Wonder. Singer Adam Levine delivers one kiss-off after the next, which range from nasty ("If I Never See Your Face Again," "Wake Up Call") to cordial and even reluctant ("Nothing Lasts Forever," "Better That We Break"); none of the songs exceed four minutes, and some even clock it at less than two-and-a-half, making the album an appropriately brief but decidedly sexually-charged encounter. "Sweet kiwi, your juice is drippin' down my chin," Levine sings on "Kiwi," a Prince-esque track accessorized with female vocals, heavy breathing, lipstick-smearing, back-scratching, and an explosive dual-guitar climax. The gushy ballads, some of which draw on pop melodies similar to the band's hit "She Will Be Loved," however, are even ickier than the sexual innuendos of the uptempo tracks. It's the white-boy funk of "Makes Me Wonder," "Little Of Your Time," and "Not Falling Apart," which apes The Police's "Every Breath You Take" far more slyly than the blatant "Won't Go Home Without You," that keeps the album from going limp and will likely prevent Maroon 5 from suffering the dreaded sophomore slump.

*** by Sal Cinquemani, Slant Magazine ***

Maroon 5 are the American equivalent of Keane and Coldplay – nice lads from good schools. On their second album they add a touch of grit to their wildly popular middle-of-the-road tunes. So the first single Makes me Wonder features a fat bassline, Wake Up Call actually swaggers, while Not Falling Apart is neat new pop. Fans won’t be disappointed, though Adam Levine’s crew remain deft rather than exciting.

*** by Steve Jelbert, The Sunday Times ***