Hands All Over
Maroon 5’s third studio album plays with a much tighter groove than their preceding albums. With a stronger approach to their take on blue-eyed-soul, most of the songs comprising *Hands All Over* are danceable party hits. “Misery” opens with airtight rhythms rolling underneath contagiously catchy melodies. Even the fat rhythm of “Give a Little More” bounces under stripped-down elements keeping the tune tight and lean. Singer Adam Levine’s performances are tasteful and taut throughout. Exercising more restraint than on past recordings, he lets the melodies and rhythms drive these songs. Check out “Never Gonna Leave This Bed” where at any moment he could succumb to the kind of vocal gymnastics Steve Perry brought to Journey — but he keeps his cool and lets the song work its own magic on the listener. This is not to say that *Hands All Over* is without its pizzazz. Standout jam “Moves Like Jagger” pays homage to the stage presence of the Rolling Stones’ frontman with glimmering flourishes flying from an irresistible four-on-the-floor beat as Christina Aguilera trims the tune with plenty of diva flash.
Doubling down on the blue-eyed soul that’s always been their cornerstone, Maroon 5 up the ante on Hands All Over, stripping their rock to the bare minimum, giving every song, even the power ballads, an immaculate tight groove.
In the end, Hands All Over won’t fulfill Adam Levine’s ambition to redefine Maroon 5’s identity.