Barenaked Ladies Album: “Maroon”

My first reaction when listening to the Barenaked Ladies' newest album was one of confusion:

Where is the silliness? Where is the knockout, hysterical single? Why aren't Ed and Steve harmonizing? What happened to Ed's lead vocals?

Maroon sounds almost completely unlike anything the Ladies have produced so far, owing to a good deal of 80's influence (mostly for background effects) and outright new musical directions for the band. One song in particular, The Humour of the Situation, makes me think of Pallisades Park, which I think came out in the early sixties . . .

After giving the album a couple more listens, however, it all starts to gel. The lyrics are potent, intelligent and witty. The trademark Barenaked silliness is still there, but you've got to dig a little more for it this time through. Although the album doesn't generate laughter at the pace that, say, Gordon did, it still has its moments.

There are several great songs, here. Whether you like the fast-paced romps of Ladies' past, or some of their more introspective tunes, this album has it all in spades.

Gem of the album goes to Tonight is the Night I Fell Asleep at the Wheel, the most morbidly fascinating song I think I've ever heard. What makes it even better, with a title like this, is that it's ultimately one of those twisted love songs that BNL does so very well. Touching, and at the same time downright creepy.

Yes, the album is a little more stark due to the scarcity of harmonizing vocals, and I would've liked more than just the two or three leads that Ed performs, but it all still works. Steve Page is an incredible vocalist, and he shows his usually broad range here. The songs tend to lend themselves more to a single vocalist, anyway. And you still get harmony in the choruses, so there.

Compare this album, if you will, to Maybe You Should Drive. More serious than Gordon, but not entirely a serious album, this is another step in the "maturity" of the band.

It's not Stunt. It's not Gordon. But it's still the Barenaked Ladies. And it's really, really good.

Ed Robertson almost didn't complete "Pinch Me" because he feared it sounded too much like "One Week"; these fears were soon proved groundless. Don't be silly, guys. I'm thinking "Maroon" is a bit like "Gordon": both have catchy, sometimes lush, melodies, tweaks at the mass media and celebrity culture, slightly twisted love songs and good natured pokes at themselves. However, something about "Maroon" seems far darker, almost grimly contemplative than any prior release, especially "Tonight is the Night I Fell Asleep at the Wheel," a song that almost made me shudder.

I enjoyed the album thoroughly and can't wait for the tour.

I consider "Maroon" to be my favorite Barenaked Ladies album for two reasons. First, I think it represents the most interesting collection of songs they've ever put together on a CD, ranging from subjects as diverse as infidelity ("Off the Hook") to meeting one's demise in an auto accident ("Tonight is the Night I Fell Asleep at the Wheel"), to Hollywood marketing hype ("Sell, Sell, Sell"), to the angst of growing up ("Baby Seat"). Second, I consider it a signifcant album because multi-instumentalist Kevin Hearn, who was diagnosed with Leukemia shortly after the recording of the band's previous album, "Stunt", was around to contribute (and thankfully still is; his Leukemia has been in remission for about 6 years as of this writing). For this reason I find the bonus track "Hidden Sun", sung by Kevin, to be especially moving. One gets the impression that he is revealing to the listener some insight that he discovered during his fight to stay alive.

There are only two tracks on this CD that I'm not overly crazy about: "Conventioneers", which tells the tale of two attendees at a business convention engaging in a brief dalliance; and "Helicopters", a rather dark song discussing the protagonist's reaction to war. As the Amazon.com review stated, one can easily discern the influence of early XTC in some of the band's tracks, and as one customer reviewer noted a bit of Beatles as well ("Go Home" reminds me of the Beatles' "Act Naturally" from a stylistic point of view). The lyrics to almost every one of the tracks in "Maroon" reveal an unusual depth of articulation and expression. Steve Page and Ed Robertson never fail to amaze me in that regard. And it should of course be noted that this CD was produced by legendary producer Don Was. Simply put, there is a lot to like about "Maroon", and the fact that it gets a prominent spot in the CD changer in my car ought to tell you what I think about it. This one is definitely worth a listen.

Barenaked Ladies 'Maroon' is a great follow-up to the mega smash album 'Stunt'. With songs of all different sorts, most centering around feel good pop or quirky ballads, it's easy to see why success has taken this group so far. The tracks are very good, though I must say that my favorites were 'Never Do Anything', 'Pinch Me', 'Conventioneers', 'Helicopters', and 'Tonight is the Night I Fell Asleep at the Wheel'.

It features wonderful vocals, most by Steven in lead. With the same subtle genius of the lyrics on 'Stunt', the Barenaked Ladies are on full-force with this album. Though it falls a bit short of the aforementioned album, it is still a must own for any BNL fan!

This album isn't as "Poppy" as some of their others and, like others have said, few singles will come out of it, but for die-hard BNL fans, this is a must buy! Like all of their albums, you can listen to this one all the way through. However, there aren't as many up beat happy-go-lucky songs as albums such as Stunt and Gordon, but there are a few. However, these guys are great musicians and it doesn't matter what kind of tone their songs have because they make fantastic music no matter what style they play. Even if you haven't been a long time fan of BNL you should try this album, it's modern musicianship at it's best. I doubt that BNL will ever make a bad album, and this album is further proof of that theory. You know that these guys are passionate and enthusiastic about their music, and it shows. Overall a great album, 5 stars!