The Maine - Black And White (Album Review)

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The Maine’s new album Black And White may be a stab at the neon “punk” scene they were lumped into a year or so ago or not. I will not know unless they say for sure. What I will say about the album is it is apparent the band worked hard at crafting a more mature sounding sophomore album and in leaps and bounds it avoids the sophomore slump. They avoided the slump that affected peers like We The Kings with the dull and boring Smile Kid, which was released at the end of last year.

Now Black and White is not anything you have not heard before. However, it is a well-crafted pop/rock album. I have heard similar sounds done well and possibly better by countless other artists. What I can say about this album is it is well put together and the songs are catchy and fun to listen to. Tracks like “Growing Up” could fit well in a high school graduation setting and that track could join the ranks of songs by artists such as Green Day, Vitamin C, Eve 6, and Head Automatic as a senior year song to remember.

John O' Callaghan really seems to have found his voice on the album and he sounds less like Kenny Vasoli on this record. The lyrics at times are a little cheesy, but any song can a have a few cheesy lines in it. The “Right Girl’s” chorus is about as cheesy as it gets. However, there are some moments when the lyrics shine through. “Saving Grace” may be one of my favorite tracks on the album because the lyrics are strong on this particular track. The track reminds me of a mix between some of the softer Anberlin tracks and The Dangerous Summer.

Howard Benson who has worked on records with All American Rejects, The Starting Line, Saosin, Relient K, etc. did a good job with The Maine and helped capture a good sound for the album. You can tell he knew how to approach this record and it really is well done.

This is a fun pop/rock album. The band has not re-invented the wheel with this one, but they have changed the tires on the car and it will keep you going for a few hundred miles or so. I think what works best about this album is that the band took a chance to mature a little and try some new things instead of just producing the exact same thing a second time around. The experimentation and refinement pay off and give the band an improved sound.