PB&Jams: The Maine
Sometimes, a band’s evolution just so happens to align with your own life. You fall in love with them in 10th grade while they’re still singing sappy pop-punk, and then you find yourself blasting their latest album in your car on the way to the Copper Mines during 13X.
When I started listening to The Maine in 2009, they had just released their first full-length album titled “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop,” a big step up from their earlier EP “The Way We Talk.” While totally charming, the EP included a cover of Akon’s “I Wanna Love You,” and lyrics like “She’s fresh to death, she’ll be the death of me.” Don’t get me wrong, at the time I was way into it but I have to say that the band has been on a steep upward trajectory since then.
“Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” saw the advent of a few songs the band will be stuck playing at every show for the rest of their lives. The songs are catchy crowd pleasers with lyrics that teenage girls love screaming from the pit like, “Girls do what they want, boys do what they can.” The album also has some adorable songs like “Into Your Arms” and “I Must Be Dreaming.”
Released by The Maine in 2010, “Black & White” displayed significant lyrical progress from their first album and also included a handful of memorable songs. “Every Road” is a positive perspective on the strength of the band and being on tour while “Right Girl” reflects on a few mistakes and doing “the wrong thing to the right girl.”
The release of “Pioneer” in 2012 marked a turning point for the band, showcasing a more mature sound and a broader range of tracks. “Like We Did (Windows Down)” is a classic teenage anthem with lines like, “I remember nights we would sing until we saw the sun, oh just tell me how to feel like we did when we were young.” “While Listening to Rock & Roll” sounds like a late night gathering of friends when “the bars are all closed and we’ve got no place to go,” and the chorus pleads with the listener, “don’t stop listening to rock and roll.”
In April 2013, the band released their most recent album, “Forever Halloween,” arguably their best work yet. “Love & Drugs,” the album’s second single, strikes me as a more grown up version of “Like We Did (Windows Down).” “Birthday in Los Angeles,” is a break up song — whether it’s for a girl or the city is what you make of it. The title track “Forever Halloween” is also the perfect end to the album. The eerie tone of the music matches the lyrics about kids in costumes and the prospect of dressing up as your former self. The nearly five-and-a-half minute song rounds off the album with a driving guitar solo.