Hands All Over [LP] in Bloomington, MN

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. It is the exact opposite move expected from the hiring of superstar producer
Robert John "Mutt" Lange
, the man responsible for some of the greatest hard rock and heavy metal albums in history, but
Lange
has a knack for focusing on the elements that define a band's core character, and with
he's realized how
Adam Levine
possesses a relative lack of lead singer ego. He is undoubtedly the superstar of the outfit -- the skinny pretty boy with the high voice -- but all things considered, he disappears within his band, co-writing much of the album with keyboardist
Jesse Carmichael
, letting the song and vibe take precedence over performance.
preserves this dynamic, turning
into a clean, efficient machine. There is no fat on
-- in its standard edition, its 12 songs run a crisp 40 minutes, with no song cresting over the four-minute mark -- and the sound is blindingly bright, almost incandescent in its spotless surfaces. As pristine as the sound is,
is not sterile and
retains the group's sense of soul. If anything, his precision is an asset, as it not only accentuates
's essential character as well-tailored lovermen, his focus echoes down to the songs themselves. Some of the cuts may not sink their hooks in immediately, but track for track
is
's best album, capturing their character and craft in a cool, sleek package. [
was also released on LP.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine