Mellow, Funk and Soul, part 2

Well, managed to listen to Maroon 5's album Songs about Jane yesterday afternoon and then followed it up with Joss Stone's The Soul Sessions this morning.

Let's start with Maroon 5. First of all, the hype being generated about this band seems well-founded with their funky tunes taking over local airwaves: This Love, She Will be Loved, Harder to Breathe and Must Get Out. With their deep funky grooves, Maroon 5 jumps into the slot left by the popular Incubus song Are You In and Jamiroquai in the Filipino listening public's ear... and it works. Of course it helps they have all the right moves: songs with hooks, lead singer Adam Levin's swaggering delivery, and a great bass line that can send you running towards the dance floor.

Also, some of the last songs in their album have a tendency to sound like certain boy bands trying to jump and jive but that's just me, I guess. As it is, my only thought is that: is this band a one-hit wonder like Hootie and the Blowfish and Third Eye Blind? I'm sure everyone remembers these bands (and a whole lot more)-- those bands who blew everyone away with their fantastic first album but seemed to disappear afterwards. (Granted the aforementioned bands didn't but their succeeding albums made you wish they did.)

A good recommendation, all in all.