After a two-year wait, not to mention the antagonizing of fans in the week leading to release with tracks clips on social media, The Maine‘s new album is finally here! And it’s a solid album, which makes the last few days so worth the added buildup and hype.
Lovely, Little, Lonely has a very relaxing tone that was pleasantly shaken up by faster tracks like “Black Butterflies and Deja Vu” and “Do You Remember (The Other Half of 23).” It’s so cohesive, seamless, and well done musically. It made me think of driving down to the beach with friends, windows down and summer music playing. Lovely, Little, Lonely puts a bit of a beach-y tone on pop rock, which was slightly unexpected. I felt that this venture worked quite well, mostly because it was done in a subtler manner. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Lovely, Little, Lonely, and I look forward to hearing the songs pop into my shuffle!
The bright guitar hook of “Don’t Come Down” opens the album. The song talks about getting drunk on life, just enjoying it and living in the moment. This is the ultimate “road trip to the beach” song if I ever heard one! It’s lighthearted and perfect for summer.
“Bad Behavior” features a girl who’s a bad influence, of whom the singer can’t get enough. I liked that the band chose to go for a more up-tempo sound for a song with sexual connotations. Most artists would make the track heavier, but The Maine kept it pretty simple which I liked.
“Bad Behavior” segues seamlessly into “Lovely,” the first of three transitional and title tracks. The lullaby quality of “Lovely” then becomes the up-tempo song “Black Butterflies and Deja Vu,” easily a favorite off the album. “Black Butterflies” is the second single off the album, describing that difficult moment when the words get stuck in your mouth, because words aren’t enough to describe a moment or person.
In the bouncy-sounding “Taxi,” the guy is trying to reassure the girl that they aren’t just a fling. What I enjoyed in the song was the cool guitar bridge before the ending choruses.
Another sweet guitar hook opens the track “Do You Remember (The Other Half of 23),” a reminiscent song about the golden years of a former relationship. The song switches seamlessly into the second transition and title track, “Little.” The transition is so seamless you actually have to check that it happened!
“Little” then flows into “The Sound of Reverie,” a song about daydreaming of being young and naive again. “Lost In Nostalgia” comes next; listening to this track feels like listening to a dream, which is apropos for a song about trying not to get hung up in nostalgia. “I Only Wanna Talk to You” reassures a girl who’s been hurt in the past that he only wants her.
The third title track, “Lonely,” differs from the first two in the fact that it isn’t transitional: rather, it’s a full-on song, albeit shorter than the typical song length. It has a cool panning effect (and it feels cool now knowing what that effect is called!).
The closing track “How Do You Feel?” is such a power song. I felt like this was the album’s anthem or at least that one really good song that isn’t a single.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Lovely, Little, Lonely. It’s well done, calming, and a great listen. And I would know–I’ve been listening to it on repeat since Friday! (And only partly because of this review!)♫
Like what you hear? Go follow The Maine on Spotify, and check out their website for more info about the new album, their upcoming tour, and more! You can also follow The Maine on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram, and add them on Snapchat (wearethemaine). For more videos, subscribe to their YouTube!
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