Black & White (The Maine album)

Black & White
Studio album by The Maine
Released 12 July 2010 (2010-07-12)
(see release history)
Genre Pop rock, pop punk, alternative rock
Length 35:22
Label Warner Bros., Fearless
Producer Howard Benson
The Maine chronology
...And a Happy New Year
(2008)		 Black & White
(2010)		 Pioneer
(2011)
Singles from Black & White
  1. "Inside of You"
    Released: 3 May 2010
  2. "Growing Up"
    Released: 18 May 2010
  3. "Right Girl"
    Released: 29 September 2010
  4. "Listen to Your Heart"

Black & White is the second album by The Maine and was released on July 12, 2010. The album features singles "Inside of You" and "Growing Up". It debuted at #16 on the Billboard 200 with 22,634 copies sold in its first week.

Development and release

Recorded in California with Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, The All-American Rejects) "Black & White" sees The Maine stepping out of their comfort zone and creating a cohesive body of work that is an "album", in the most traditional sense of the word.

"This time we really wanted to focus on the songwriting and make sure all the songs were great so no matter where on the disc you are you can tell it's an album instead of a bunch of songs that are thrown together", drummer Pat Kirch explains. Acoustic versions of the songs "Inside of You" and "Right Girl" can be found on YouTube as well as the deluxe version of the record.

On the release date of the album, July 12, the band and their crew embarked on an entire 24 hour event which had been streamed live via their MySpace page, Ustream, and website. Everyone who viewed the event online had chances to win some prizes, see acoustic sets, and also receive calls from the band through their "Say Now" account.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
PaynePunkPress[1]

Sound in the Signals Magazine gave the album a fairly positive review stating:

"This is a fun pop/rock album. The band has not re-invented the wheel with this one, but they have changed the tires on the car and it will keep you going for a few hundred miles or so. I think what works best about this album is that the band took a chance to mature a little and try some new things instead of just producing the exact same thing a second time around. The experimentation and refinement pay off and give the band an improved sound."[2]

iTunes gave the album this review with an overall rating of four and a half stars:

"On their first major-label release (after an EP and album for Fearless), the Maine take a step away from the emo-pop sound they began with. Instead of fast tempos, sunny songs about girls, and auto-tuned vocals, "Black & White" has a more mature and measured approach. The tempos are nearly all mid, the mood is often melancholy or nostalgic, and the overall feel is much more grown up. The presence of Hammond organ is a trademark signifier of a serious and adult band and it appears in a handful of songs here, layered in among the acoustic guitars. There’s no trace of punk left in their approach, in other words. In fact, if the vocals had more of a twang, the record could pass for a modern country release. It will certainly appeal to the same kind of fans who like Taylor Swift — people who like solid, catchy songs, sung earnestly. There are definitely quite a few songs that would sound good on the radio, like the hooky "Fuel to the Fire" and the cute "Right Girl."

"Black & White" also won Alternative Press "Album of the Year" in 2010.

Singles

"Inside of You" was released on the band's website as a promotional single and later announced as the first official single off the album, shortly after it had been uploaded as a lyrics video on their official YouTube page. A music video for the song, directed by Cage Free and written by Ian Michael Kintzle, was released on July 19, 2010.

"Growing Up" was released shortly after "Inside of You" on May 18, 2010 as the second promotional single for the album. Like Inside of You, a lyrics video was uploaded where fans could see. The song was then later serviced to radio stations as the album's third single in February 2011. No video was made.

"Right Girl" - The second official single off the album, and was sent to radio on September 29, 2010. A music video for the song was released on November 23, 2010.

"Listen To Your Heart" was released as the album's fourth single, and was serviced to U.S. radio stations in June 2011. A video for the song, featuring footage from the band's tour, was released on their YouTube page on July 5, 2011.

Track listing

All lyrics written by John O'Callaghan, all music composed by The Maine.

No. Title Length
1. "Don't Stop Now"   3:36
2. "Right Girl"   3:36
3. "Growing Up"   4:00
4. "Fuel to the Fire"   3:11
5. "Inside of You"   3:50
6. "Every Road"   3:37
7. "Listen to Your Heart"   3:15
8. "Saving Grace"   3:53
9. "Give It to Me"   2:42
10. "Color"   3:41
Total length:
 35:22
Deluxe Edition (digital bonus songs)
No. Title Length
11. "Right Girl (acoustic)"   3:42
12. "Inside of You (acoustic)"   3:46
Total length:
 42:51
European Edition
No. Title Length
11. "Untangle Me (B-side)"   3:20
12. "Free (home recording)"   3:22
13. "Book of Me and You (home recording)"   3:01
14. "Whoever She Is (home recording)"   4:01
Total length:
 49:06

Chart performance

Chart (2010) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[3] 16
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[4] 11
US Digital Albums (Billboard)[5] 6
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[6] 6

Personnel

Members

Production[7]
  • Craig Aaronson – A&R
  • Keith Armstrong – Mixing assistant
  • Howard Benson – Producer
  • Martin Briley – Composer
  • Dana Calitri – Composer
  • Chris Concepcion – Technical assistance
  • David Bassett – Composer
  • Paul DeCarli – Digital editing
  • Hatsukazu "Hatch" Inagaki – Engineer
  • Nik Karpen – Mixing assistant
  • Tim Kirch – Art conception
  • Chris Lord-Alge – Mixing
  • Dirk Mai – Art conception, photography
  • The Maine – Art conception, composer, primary artist
  • Zac Maloy – Composer
  • Jon Nicholson – Drum technician
  • Nina Ossoff – Composer
  • Donny Phillips – Art conception, art direction, design
  • Mike Plotnikoff – Engineer
  • Xavier Ramos – Marketing
  • Michito Sánchez – Percussion
  • Andrew Schubert - Mixing
  • Brad Townsend – Mixing
  • Marc VanGool – Guitar, guitar technician
  • Butch Walker – Composer
  • Gregg Wattenburg – Composer
  • Mark Weinburg – Composer

References

  1. ↑ "PaynePunkPress Review"..
  2. ↑ Sound In The Signals. "The Maine - Black And White (Album Review)". Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  3. ↑ "The Maine – Chart history" Billboard 200 for The Maine. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  4. ↑ "The Maine – Chart history" Billboard Top Alternative Albums for The Maine. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  5. ↑ "The Maine – Chart history" Billboard Digital Albums for The Maine. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  6. ↑ "The Maine – Chart history" Billboard Top Rock Albums for The Maine. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Black & White - The Maine - AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 27, 2013.

External links

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