★★★★★
Surprise! Arizona quintet the Maine have released a five-song acoustic EP of new material, recorded in secret, just in time for the holidays. Completely self-produced, Imaginary Numbers is as bare as the Maine have ever been. On "Raining In Paris," John O'Callaghan spins a wistful yarn with fragile vocals over a delicate guitar-and-organ arrangement...
- altpress.com
2013-12-10
★★★★★
Arizona rockers The Maine delve into a deeper, grungier style with their new album, Forever Halloween. This fourth album strums a darker beat that previous efforts, with the overall sound harbouring a much more raw feeling, mainly due to the live recording on analog tape, which works superbly for this record. Forever Halloween departs from the pop/rock feel of previous titles like "The Way We Talk" but rather leans more towards the rock category, similar to that of their third album Pioneer...
- www.theaureview.com
2013-06-09
★★★★★
If you hear it straight from the Maine, it almost sounds like they sold out with their debut album. Indeed, with those early AltPress hits at the end of the aughts, the Maine may very well have been a boy band that just so happened to write their own songs and play their own instruments. They played well to the younger SuicideGirls crowd, brought in the angsty tweens, and despite their swooping, edgy haircuts, still managed to be painfully inoffensive, the band still standing out from their...
- www.popmatters.com
2013-06-08
★★★★★
When AP caught up with the Maine for this year's Most Anticipated issue, frontman John O'Callaghan said, "I would like to give a little more of myself in these songs." On Forever Halloween, he does just that. Then again, the Maine achieved that feat with 2011's career highlight, Pioneer. Forever Halloween continues the Maine's upward trajectory--O'Callaghan's songwriting is stronger, and the '90s alt-rock vibe they introduced on Pioneer is more prominent--but the lyrics are quite the opposite,...
- altpress.com
2013-06-22
★★★★★
This September, The Maine will be re-releasing their third studio album "Pioneer" overseas with six additional tracks, re-titling it "Pioneer and The Good Love" with colorfully distorted album artwork to go with it. These extra six tracks (collectively known as "The Good Love") are like the deleted scenes after the credits roll in a movie; they add more flavor to the original album, yet can stand on their own as an EP...
- www.alterthepress.com
2013-04-02
★★★★★
There is nothing more fascinating in music than watching a band progress before your very ears. It's even better when a band's progression coincides with that band's improvement. And I can't believe it, but The Maine has improved a whole ton in a year and a half. I don't think that a major label can ruin a band by itself, but Black & White, The Maine's debut for Warner Bros., was a complete dud...
- absolutepunk.net
2011-12-26
★★★★★
This review originally ran in AP 282. "All songs written by the Maine." In a scene oversaturated with bands relying on mercenary co-writers to make their songs palatable, that credit in Pioneer's liner notes is all the proof you need to know that the Maine have finally stepped into their own, channeling the ghost of '90s alt-rock to sculpt one hell of an album...
- www.altpress.com
2011-12-22
★★★★★
What are the first thoughts that pop into your head when someone mentions The Maine? Neon perhaps? Undoubtedly, The Maine have been the poster boys of adolescent-friendly music these past few years, with their appealing aesthetics and saccharine pop music. While we can scoff and bash the band all we want, they have garnered hoards of fans, and now have a major-label release under their belt...
- www.reviewrinserepeat.com
2010-12-14
★★★★★
This album is the soundtrack to my summer. I can't wait for "Girls do what they want" to hit the radio! This album leaves a great flavor in my mouth, a good mix of Indie and somewhat Pop. But, without being over-produced. If you havn't heard The Maine yet, sample their biggest collection on PureVolume and if you like what you hear, than add them on your MySpace. www.purevolume.com/themaine www.myspace.com/themaine
- www.bigsmilemagazine.com
2010-12-13