They may very well be the best Canadian import since Molson Golden. A little more than two years ago, these five Toronto-based pop rockers released their quadruple-platinum selling album, Stunt. The album represented the quirky group's stateside breakthrough. Hoping to recapture this success, BNL has just released their follow-up album, Maroon.
Don't be fooled by the infectious single "Pinch Me." Steven Page and his bellowy, resonant voice handle most of the vocals. Ed Robertson's soft-spoken "Pinch Me" pipes are heard primarily amongst the group's thick harmonies. Almost all of the songs are penned by the duo of Page and Robertson.
The songs are what BNL fans have come to expect from the group - with a slight dash of uncharacteristic maturity. Widely known for their often-nonsensical lyrics (see "One Week"), the group takes a brief sabbatical in songs like "The Night I Fell Asleep at the Wheel," a surprisingly upbeat song that describes the story of a car crash in gut-wrenching detail. However, old BNL fans shouldn't worry, as their sophomoric antics do resurface from time to time throughout the album - like when BNL makes a passing reference to Catherine the Great's precarious relationship with her horse on "Go Home." Maroon also features some interesting musical exploration for BNL. The song "Sell Sell Sell" follows the rise and fall and ultimate rise of a struggling actor, told via music that could conceivably be at home in an Italian opera.
Much of the disc's emphasis is on those downbeat smashing, beat driving, jump-up-and-down party songs like the fan favorite "Alcohol." Album opener "Too Little Too Late" and "The Humour of the Situation" indubitably will have concertgoers bouncing on their feet.
What's missing from the album is the genre of songs that have become BNL staples. The classic slow rock ballads with lyrics that would make equally as classic poetry, such as "When I Fall," are conspicuously absent from BNL's sixth release. Instead, fans are bombarded almost exclusively with high energy, sugar rush pop rock. Even with the occasional respite, the album seems to be a bit too formulaic.
BNL sought out a new producer for this album, and found Don Was, who gives BNL a more electric sound than they've ever had. Kevin Hearn, the keyboard and piano-playing utility man, now can add sampler to his list of credits, as sampling is featured on several songs. The result is the traditional acoustic and electric balance.
With 'Maroon,' Barenaked Ladies should continue their invasion of America and further solidify their spot as one of the top rock acts in North America. Maroon fuses lyrics actually worth listening to with pop rock music that gives us a pleasant alternative to teenybopper acts that occupy the radio waves. But a message to the Barenaked Ladies - don't grow up too much. We like you the way you are.
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