The Maybe Man, Maybe a Masterpiece
One, Two, Pandemonium!
I’ve never done an album review before, but this is the perfect place to start. A long time fan of AJR, I was of course looking forward to the new record, The Maybe Man, which came out toward the end of 2023. My fourteen-year-old daughter’s enthusiasm for it further boosted my own. I had heard five of the twelve songs already, as the band often releases multiple singles from a new album before releasing the album itself, and that also added to my eagerness.
Then it came out. I listened, and was blown away. Adam, Jack and Ryan Met just might have created a masterpiece here.
Living Room. The Click. Neotheater. OK Orchestra. And now The Maybe Man. These are all wonderful albums, and while I definitely prefer some to others, I love all of them. This one, though? It hits differently. Maybe it’s just where I am in my life, I dunno, but I resonate with this one at a deep level. Even though I’m not crazy about every single song, they are all absolute bops and if any of them get stuck in my head at any point, I’m not gonna be mad about it. I had originally planned to write up something about each track, but if I did that, this would be waaaay too long. So I’ll just narrow it down to half of them, mainly hitting my favorites.
01. The Maybe Man
Traditionally, and by that I mean on three out of four of AJR’s previous albums, the first track would be an Overture, a fantastic amalgamation of bits and pieces from each track, beautifully arranged into the perfect intro song to start the album. Well, the title track here is not such an overture, but it does subtly touch on the themes of the other songs, and appropriately sets the tone for the rest of the record. How many things in our lives do we wish were different, at least until we really think about them? How willing are we to make changes where we need to? How comfortable are we being our true selves, or have we allowed the world around us to change us into something we’re not? Do we truly know who we are? This one goes deep, and Jack sings with such passion that it’s hard not to feel it. But then it transitions and finishes up with just the right beats to prepare you for the bop that is to follow. Also, you might randomly find yourself thinking, “One, two, paaandemonium!”
Wish I was a song, your favorite one
You'd follow the dance to me at your prom
I would be there when your baby is born
For two or three minutes, then I'm gone
02. Touchy Feely Fool
Being a self-proclaimed Touchy Feely Fool myself (although I would probably choose different words), I definitely relate to this song. Feeling so much you sometimes just wish you could be more insensitive and not care about any and everything? Yeah, I get that. This one is catchy as hell, and makes you feel not so bad about feeling everything and just trying to enjoy the good stuff. And this song itself adds to the good stuff.
Someday, won't this be funny?
Well, I want it funny now
Man, I wanna laugh so loud
Someday, won't this be long ago?
I wanna feel that now
03. Yes I’m a Mess
(Ok, I know it looks like I’m going to talk about every song, but I promise I’m not.) This one is also catchy as hell (most of them are, really), and the whistling in it especially will get it stuck in your head for days. So many of us feel like we’re just a giant mess of a person, but how do we know what parts of us we need to fix and what parts to just accept? Why are we the way we are, and how much of that is really a bad thing? Here’s what they conclude about the matter:
Yes I'm a mess with an S on my chest
I could hate my guts
When the sun comes up
But I guess that's what this is
I like myself like this
The video to this is really silly and fun (as many of theirs are), so I’ll include it here. They originally started with one concept for it, had it almost finished and realized they weren’t feeling it, so they just decided to scrap it and have some fun. Jack in an Elmo costume? Sure, why not.
05. Inertia
This one was a surprise hit. They almost didn’t include it on the album, but apparently now it’s become the one most loudly screamed-along-with at shows. If you give it a listen, you’ll have no question why it’s a fan favorite. It quickly became one of mine and my daughter’s too. I think we can all relate to wanting to make changes, but just being too comfortable and unmotivated to take action.
I wanna be big like my plans, so why'm I so tiny
And why'm I so mad?
It's inertia
Guess this is just what I am
I'm stuck in this life, and I'm stuck in these pants
Seriously, it was ridiculously difficult to choose which lyrics to include here. All of them are so clever and relatable, you’ll definitely get it. And it’s so much fun to sing along with, you’ll find yourself doing so at the most random moments.
06. Turning Out Pt. III
Ok when they released the track list ahead of time, I practically screamed when I saw Turning Out Pt. III on the list, and my daughter did the same. Supposedly the Turning Out songs are a trilogy, this one being the last. The original Turning Out was on The Click, and is suuuch a good song. Turning Out Pt. II came out on the Neotheater album, and while it too is great, I am less a fan of this one because I don’t like sad songs or breakup songs, and it is both. So I was super hopeful for Pt. III, and I wasn’t disappointed. Here’s all three so you can listen back to back. Although I do recommend watching the official video to the first Turning Out, cos it’s adorable.
Anyway, Pt. III definitely exceeded my expectations. It almost made me cry on the first listen, cos it’s sweet and heartfelt, but almost kinda funny. It really comes down to the simplicity of love and how we still manage to make it so complicated sometimes. Also I love the high notes they get into in the chorus, reminding me of the guys’ love of the Beach Boys.
Oh, I'm spiraling now
Let's get kids and a house
Though I'm riddled with doubts
Is this how we turn out?
I think this song rounds out the trilogy perfectly, and it’s one of my favorites on the album.
11. God is Really Real
(I know I’m skipping several really good songs here, even a few they released as singles. Please forgive me, and do go check them all out.)
God is Really Real hits hard right in the feels. Some background info: at the beginning of July, the brothers canceled all their tour dates for the month to spend time with their father, Gary, whose health was rapidly declining from a long-term illness. They knew they didn’t have much time left with him, and wanted to make the most of that time. Two days later, they released this song, and along with it the video they made while visiting him in the hospital. Later on that same day, they announced that he had passed away. Gary was their absolute biggest fan, was in the front row at every show he could possibly be at, and was well-known and loved within the fandom. When I first listened to the song, I had already heard about his passing, and I started bawling pretty much before the first verse was done.
God is really real when you really, really need Him
Karma just appears and you suddenly believe it
Hear it loud and clear, just as long as it's convenient
Life's fuckin' long 'til it stops, and God's fuckin' fake 'til He's not
I’ve lost loved ones before, but never someone quite that close. Those days will come eventually, but for now I know I have no idea how painful an experience it is. I do know that loss can lead us to reevaluate our beliefs, and that either strengthens or restructures them, or maybe even both (if that’s even possible). In these lyrics, you can hear every bit of that. It’s heartbreakingly beautiful, and just might be my favorite song on the album. A slower tune, but simple and heartfelt. I also love the simplicity of the lyric video, with the words being handwritten on the notebook. It makes it feel that much more personal.
12. 2085
The final song on the album is not actually one of my favorites, but it is the perfect ending. Seems like just another fun song at first, until you start to realize how it ties evvvverything together.
Hey, it's 2085, and we're old as shit, whatever
Hey, I'd hate to have to die 'fore I get my head together, whatever
The song initially starts as an upbeat self and life evaluation, before musically morphing into something else entirely. It transitions with the haunting line, “You gotta get better, you're all that I've got,” and then it brings the whole album full circle when it fades into a reprise of the title track. Not only does it reprise, it properly concludes the whole thing by actually answering the questions set out in the beginning. This song is exactly what it should be, and it is just so satisfying.
So, if this is me
Then I'll do my best
I'll take all the shit
So you'll never have to
You can be you
And I'll be the rest
Yeah, maybe that's who the hell I am
At some point in our lives (or maybe several points), we all take an epic journey to discover who we really are and who we want to be. This record takes you along on such a journey, and it’s a heartwrenching delight, much like in real life. I hope I haven’t hyped it up so much that you listen and consider it a bit of a letdown. I think it’s absolutely wonderful, and it’ll be awhile before I ever get tired of it (if that even happens). It’s available on all streaming and downloading platforms, or you can be oldschool like me and buy it on cd (I may end up getting the vinyl, too).
Just for fun, here’s a photo from the day I got to meet AJR, after driving to Atlanta by myself in a torrential downpour (totally worth it).
Thank you for reading!
Excellent, from another AJR fan!