Maroon 5’s new album sounds like so much fun until you listen to it. This is not due to a lack of trying on their part though. And it’s not too much, it’s just been scrubbed squeaky.

Adam Levine may lack the big white teeth and feathered hair, but he has vocals that would have put Barry Gibbs to the test.

Their hit song ‘Misery’ is a perfect example of why Maroon 5’s sound works so well. Every guitar chord reverberates an antique funk. Levine’s distant, echoey voice is something to be found on a late night Soul Train rerun.

Or perhaps it is something more recent we relate to about the album. Songs like ‘Hands All Over Me,’ (title track) resurrect a 1990’s pop vibe.

The punchy drums and background choirs tempt our brains into expecting lyrics from ‘Dirty Pop’ or ‘Bye Bye Bye,’ by N’SYNC.

Not that the strong suit of this band is its ability to appeal to college girls reminiscing on the third grade.

They know exactly what works to make their sound addictive. They craft a song so it can be listened to in your down time, in your car, even in a club.

Hands All Over is marketable because it is the same recycled junk that has appealed to the masses since John Travolta owned ‘You Should Be Dancin’.’