Kalina Nedelcheva

I was in our beloved Indigo store located in the Yonge and Eglinton mall, where I’m sure many of you have spent countless hours thanks to boredom, when I came across the newest issue of AP, also known as Alternative Press. I grabbed
it immediately, sat down on the floor like a true rebel and flipped the pages
to the reviews. My eye was caught by a piece on the Maine, a group that I had come across once and classified as “okay”. I decided to give them another chance and listen to their new album, Pioneer, released on 6th of December, 2011. I was positive that my
opinion wouldn’t change, but I found the artwork to be extremely provocative—who
wouldn’t be interested in a bearded man with red lipstick on? Let’s be realistic.

As soon as I got home, I turned on my laptop and looked up the album. The first track I heard was “My Heroine” and… I couldn’t believe my ears! I was astonished by the sound, the guitar solo, the lyrics and the edginess of the music. They had proven me wrong; there was still hope for this young band. Could this be the quintet that made the cheesy album Black and White back in 2010? It raised so many negative reviews; no one had hope for the band. Something about their music had changed and it was one of those good changes that make your heart skip a beat; it made you realize how fast things can transform from one state to another. Hypnotized by the catchiness of the first song, I continued to explore the album with its funky artwork. I came across yet another brilliant song: Misery. Curiosity would not leave me as I anxiously clicked on the YouTube link. It started off as a melancholy of the past, regret and apology. Just when you were sure it was another one of those sincere slow songs, the music exploded, and it was all over the place—in a good way, of course. I was left speechless. As I’m writing,
the song is still stuck in my head.

Most people don’t change their first opinion—and may I add, I am one of them—but I do believe in second chances. The Maine, formed in 2007, has made a giant leap towards success. The powerful vocals, the sound, and the input in this album, The Maine
really surprised their fans. If they continue to put their feelings into their
music, they will achieve great success.