Kara's Flowers (now Maroon 5)

[Slinky]

Anyone else like this band?  They later went on to become a little-known act called Maroon 5. :)

I stopped at a flea market Sunday and noticed a used copy of their 1997 CD "The Fourth World" on sale for 60 cents, so being kind of a Maroon 5 fan, I picked it up, thinking you can't go wrong for 60 cents.  I haven't been able to get enough of this CD since!  They don't really sound like Maroon 5 on this CD.  It's pure power pop in the vein of Weezer or Fountains of Wayne, so if you like those two bands, or are just curious about what Maroon 5 used to sound like, I definitely recommend this.   

[NORTHCOAST]

Cool!  Isn't it great to find a new CD that you love at a huge bargain.  I've always been curious about their "sound" previous to M5.  I read that a lot of their Kara's Flowers' fans were really ticked off when they changed their sound.  I would love to hear it to make the comparison for myself.    How's Adam Levine's voice on it? 

[Slinky]

NORTHCOAST said:

Cool!  Isn't it great to find a new CD that you love at a huge bargain.  I've always been curious about their "sound" previous to M5.  I read that a lot of their Kara's Flowers' fans were really ticked off when they changed their sound.  I would love to hear it to make the comparison for myself.    How's Adam Levine's voice on it? 

I'd be kind of ticked off if I'd been a Kara's Flowers fan too!  They really did change their sound.

Adam's voice is somewhat subdued through most of the CD.  It takes a backseat to the catchy guitar melodies, which are reminiscent of 60's-era pop songs.  A friend I was listening to the CD with was actually disappointed, because she was expecting something similar to the unique vocals of Maroon 5.  She didn't even recognize the voice for the first few songs.  There are a few songs on the album that do sound M5-ish though, such as "My Ocean Blue", which is a slower, and not as guitar-heavy.

Since I recall you liking Fountains of Wayne, I think you'll like the catchy retro-sounding melodies of this CD, even if you don't like Adam's vocals as much as on the Maroon 5 CD.  My favorite song on the CD is "Myself", which in my opinion is everything a power-pop song should be.  Other standouts are "Soapdisco", another power-pop anthem, which was released as the only single from "The Fourth World", and the previously mentioned "My Ocean Blue".

[Walking Contradiction]

I'm definetely going to have to check this out considering that I'm a fan of both Maroon 5 and Fountains of Wayne.

[NORTHCOAST]

Wow, I just went onto Amazon.com and listened to clips of this album.  What a difference from their current sound.  Kara's Flowers was so poppy.  Why did I think that it was more punk/alt? They definitely changed styles.  I'm curious as to the reasons.  Wonder if the producer had something to do with it.   Agree with the comparison to FOW on the sound, but didn't get enough of the lyrics to know if they compare lyrically.   I think that is FOW's strong point.  Just get such a kick out of their off the wall lyrics. 

I'm so curious about M5's next release.  Wonder if it will follow in the same vein as SAJ or morph yet again.   Personally, the more I see  Adam Levine the more he comes across as kind of wussy.   Anyone else feel this way too?  The lead singer's persona has such an impact on how they are judged by critics and fans.