"AMERICAN CANDY" by THE MAINE (AN ALBUM REVIEW)

What Is It: One of my favorite bands in the world, The Maine, has released their fifth studio album!  This follows on the heels of eleven other music releases from the boys: Stay Up Get Down (EP, 2006), The Way We Talk (EP, 2007), Can't Stop Won't Stop (2008), ...And A Happy New Year (EP, 2008), Life Like This (Limited Edition EP, 2009), Black and White (2010), In Darkness and In Light (EP, 2010), Pioneer (2012), Good Love (EP, 2012) Forever Halloween (2013), and Imaginary Numbers (EP, 2014).

The iTunes Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/american-candy/id963813221?ls=1

My experience: This album came out yesterday and I didn't want to just profile it for Music Monday because it deserves so much more than that!  I have been listening to this album on repeat since I downloaded it last night and it is so amazing.  I can't express how excited I am to hear the sound that made me fall in love with The Maine back in 2007.  It definitely takes me back to their more upbeat and fun albums like Can't Stop Won't Stop and Black and White.  What makes the release of this album even better for me is that I will get to see them perform this music live this weekend at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA.

Favorite Song Off the Album: "Another Night on Mars" - This song initially stood out to me because of it's upbeat and pop-like intro.  It's not something that The Maine often does, so when they do, I tend to sit up and take notice.  For me, the pull of certain songs always come in the lyrics.  I'm all about listening to the lyrics and understanding what the song is about and what it means to you as a listener or to the band as writers.  The lyrics of this song just remind me of having a great time with friends in college and that's why I like it so much.  Lyrics like "With friends like ours/Anywhere is home" make me happy to have exactly those types of friends.  And then there's the lyrics "This one goes out to my closest friends/The ones who make me feel less alien/I do not think I would be here if not for them/See all the nights in sh***y bars/Throwing up in taxi cars/Or on our backs under the stars/As we sing, as we sang" which would speak to anyone who's just had one of those nights where the only person who understands and takes care of them are their closest friends.  The upbeat tempo and messages of cherishing your closest friends like family and knowing your friends always have your back just make me really love this song.

Why You (Our Listeners) Should Hear This: Why not?  There's always room for new music in your life.  If you've never heard of The Maine, I highly recommend them.  I can't pinpoint what it is about this band that makes me love them so much, but just something about their sound makes you happy and makes you feel all the things that they are feeling when they were writing the songs.  I think my favorite thing about this band is that with each song that they play at concerts, they tell you why they wrote a certain song and it helps you connect with the music that much more.  I have been anxiously awaiting American Candy since I last saw the band in October of 2014 and I am so excited that it is finally here!  Do yourself a favor and listen to this band and this album because I promise, from ALNM's resident "Music Snob", you will not regret that decision.

The Future: John O'Callaghan, Kennedy Brock, Pat Kirch, Jared Monaco, and Garrett Nickelsen AKA the boys of the band celebrate the release of the album TONIGHT with a free acoustic set in their hometown of Tempe, AZ at the Tempe Marketplace with their good friends (and another of my favorite bands) This Century.  The American Candy Tour (featuring 8123 artists Real Friends, Knuckle Puck, and The Technicolors) officially begins on April 3rd in Tempe, AZ and will conclude on May 20th in San Antonio, TX before the band makes their way to Manila, Philippines.  Check out their website for tour dates!

-- Kelly Lee