It Won't Be Soon Before Long

Editors’ Notes

Though it took them five years to do it, Maroon 5 more than fulfilled expectations with their sophomore album, 2007's It Won’t Be Soon Before Long. Frontman Adam Levine and his cohorts concentrated on getting the essentials right by delivering expertly crafted songs buffed to an ear-catching sheen by such production notables as Spike Stent, Mike Elizondo, and Eric Valentine. The buoyant warmth and insistent sensuality of Maroon 5’s first album is amplified without studio tricks or pop-star posing. Tracks like “If I Never See Your Face Again,” "Little of Your Time,” and “Kiwi” combine insistent catchiness with a cocky attitude that retains a boyish charm. The band skew toward elegant R&B on “Nothing Lasts Forever,” fuse rock and funk on “Can’t Stop,” and offer bittersweet acoustic balladry with “Better That We Break.” Levine sings with a light yet confident touch throughout, employing his winsome falsetto to deliver love odes and kissoffs alike.