One…Two…Pandemonium!
Brother pop trio AJR released their fifth studio album The Maybe Man on November 10th, 2023.
The twelve-track album continues the group’s themes of existentialism and growing up but also expands to bring in themes of loss and coming to terms with change. That being said, it still stays true to the sound that can only be defined as uniquely AJR.
Five singles preceded the album’s release, dating back to July 2022, with the release of “I Won’t.” However, none were more emotional than “God is Really Real”, the single that had an unexpected release before the album in July 2023, due to the group’s father’s passing. The song symbolized their love for him and how they watched him battle his terminal illness, and after his passing the group decided that it was better to release it then, rather than hold off until the full album was released.
My personal favorite on the album is the fifth track, “Inertia.” The song, which quickly became a fan-favorite, deals with the theory of inertia; the idea that an object in motion stays in motion, and an object in rest stays at rest, but rather than scientifically, how that applies to one’s motion in their own life. Its existential theme of not knowing where to go in life and feeling lost rings true for a lot of young adults, and the chorus’ repeated distorted vocals add to this tone of confusion, yet, motivation.
Another favorite of mine on the album is “Steve’s Going to London,” a self-proclaimed song about nothing. The song’s nonsense and baroque opening make it a perfect mix of chaos and fun. The song pokes fun at the idea that songs need to have a deep-seated meaning and wide-spread appeal while talking about nonsense and existentialism.
The opening and closing tracks carry a lot of the album’s weight, with “Maybe Man” acting much like an overture has on many previous AJR albums, introducing the themes and tones, and having little references to each of the tracks. “2085”, as a result, feels like the conclusion to the performance of the album, ending with lines such as “you gotta get better, you’re all that I’ve got” evolving into “I’ve gotta get better, I’m all that I’ve got.”
Overall, The Maybe Man is a solid installment in the AJR discography and brings with it a more mature and developed sound compared to previous releases by the band. It closes out the “Turning Out” trilogy, continues the depressing-silly-song-sound that’s become a staple of their style, and balances both upbeat and slower songs fairly equally. I think The Maybe Man as a whole is very much an AJR album, however, much of its sound breaks into a genre more mature and developed compared to their early albums, showing not only their development as a band but as people experiencing the world.
Emily Imanishi is a Senior Writing for Film, TV & Emerging Media Major who still thinks about how she cried when she met AJR. She can be reached at [email protected].