Maroon 5″s new single, “Maps,” may cover new terrain geographically as lead singer/”The Voice” coach Adam Levine vows to search the globe for his lost love, but musically it stays pretty much in the group”s sweet spot with catchy verses and a striking vocal performance from Levine.
The song, the first single from the group”s forthcoming album, “V,” does strike a bit of a blend between its edgy pop and the Police”s thumping beats and guitar lines, and some cool chanting and goes for an overall atmospheric sense building urgency.
“I was there for you in your darkest times/I was there for you in your darkest nights/But I wonder where were you when I was at my worst/Down on my knees and you said you had my back/So I wonder where were you/All the roads you took came back to me/So I”m following the map that leads to you,” Levine sings.
The album reunites Levine, Matt Flynn, Mickey Madden and James Valentine with keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, who was on hiatus for 2012″s “Overexposed” and has now returned.
“V,” out Sept. 2, was recorded in LA over the past year as the band worked with producers Max Martin, Benny Blanco, Ryan Tedder, Shellback and Sam Martin.