Maroon 5; Hives

MSN Reviews Feed: There were two bands jockeying for primacy at Maroon Five's show at Staples Center: the pop/soul band, the one responsible for the hits "This Love" and "Harder To Breathe," and the rock band they aspire to become on "It Won't Be Soon Before Long" (A&M/Octone). But over the 80-minute set it became apparent that the Los Angeles quintet lacks the smarts or chops to resolve their internal contradictions, making Maroon 5 less than the sum of their parts. That neither side of the band is especially good certainly doesn't help.
	Published: 2007-11-11 Provider: Variety.com