For their sixth album, Barenaked Ladies fuse their impressive pop sensibilities with darker subject matter fueled by keyboardist Kevin Hearn's successful bout with leukemia. Helmed by uber-producer Don Was,
Maroon finds BNL singing about such foreboding topics as touring countries torn by political strife ("Helicopters") and the thoughts of a car crash victim ("Tonight Is the Night I Fell Asleep at the Wheel"). But rather than bog everything down with somber arrangements, the Canadian quintet instead go for the jugular with perfect songcraft driven by undeniable hooks. So even though they might be singing about relationships that are either headed south ("Too Little Too Late") or unrealized ("Conventioneers"), the Ladies do it with an exuberance that helps sweeten some of the bitterness. Far from being a total gloomfest,
Maroon has plenty of upbeat pop moments such as the don't-take-yourself-so-seriously anthem "The Humour of the Situation" and the infectious optimism of "Falling for the First Time," where runaway piano, chiming guitars, and spot-on harmonies soar to a melodic high. An added bonus is the secret track "Hidden Sun," an ethereal piano-driven song about internal strength that sounds like something
They Might Be Giants might have written in a serious moment.
