Maroon 5: Songs about Jane

Wildly popular, Maroon 5 hangs tough with guitar-based radio rock. Songs about Jane was designed to dominate the alternative stations, filling the spaces between the Fray and Matchbox 20. The album is full of highlights: the chorus on “This Love,” the shuffling feel of “The Sun,” the relaxed groove of “Sunday Morning.” But the gasping vocals (I’m looking at you, “Shiver”) and the slick backing singers throughout are distracting. Maroon 5 manages to stand out among other radio poppers, but Songs about Jane definitely sounds as though it were constructed to sell the 3 million plus copies that it sold.

Rating: * * *

Audioslave: Audioslave

From the opening helicopter sounds made by Tom Morello’s guitar, you know you’re getting a tall, smooth drink of awesome. Considering the hit-and-miss nature of the “supergroup,” even a combination of Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden had room to go awry. In fact, Audioslave’s second and third albums demonstrate this. But the debut rocks. Everything works. The band members combine to produce an entity that can stand on its own. While the best of the best are “Gasoline,” “Set It Off,” and “Light My Way,” I could substitute any of the remaining 9 songs and be just as happy.

Rating: * * * * *