Rickkert Reviews: The Maine- XOXO: From Love & Anxiety

The Maine has set their sights the most important theme in music history, Love. Where previous entries in the catalog such as “You Are Ok” and “Lovely, Little, Lonely” took heavy and emotional into their high concept. The band takes a break and focuses on al that’s sweet in life with “XOXO: From Love & Anxiety in Real Time”

Album opener “Sticky” immediately introduce slurry summer vibes, which form the backbone of the album. The vibes continue on songs like ”Lips” and “Love In Real Time”

The band doesn’t stray from their core sound, with the album even still following a concept, with the songs dealing with all stages of love. With that being said the electronic and bass heavy tones of “High Forever” give a break after the honey sweet tones of the first couple of tracks.

A track like “April 7^th” is a collection of everything that makes “The Maine” themselves, the catchy hooks, emotional vocals and a chorus that stays in your mind.

With the protagonist experiencing al facets of love, it is time to grow out of the puppy stage and talk about the difficulties of long term relationships with tracks like “If Your Light Goes Out” and “Pretender”

My favorite track of the album “Dirty, Pretty, Beautiful” brings us back to the summer vibe that fill the other half of “XOXO”

Most of “XOXO” consists of strong pop songs that walk the line with Rock, as we can expect from “The Maine” but the band goes into the rock territory with closing track “Face Towards The Sun”

Lyrically the album focuses on the journey of falling in love, with both its highs points, it’s low points and the challenges.

The album is filled with strong summer pop songs but doesn’t break any new ground with its sound anyhow “The Maine” shows why they are the hardest working band in the scene.