Can't Stop Won't Stop

iTunes Review

The Maine make all the right moves on their first album, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop. The Arizona quintet sticks close to the punk-pop rulebook, riding frisky melodies while delivering quick-sliced guitar riffs on top of aggrieved yet ecstatic vocals. It’s a mix of sugar and bile that’s been served up by everyone from the Replacements to the Starting Line and Days Away. Happily, the Maine finds a way to put a personal stamp on this now-familiar form. “Everything I Ask For,” “Girls Do What They Want” and “Kiss and Sell” are glittery sonic cherry bombs, sung by lead vocalist John O'Callaghan with nervous enthusiasm. The band attacks the post-high-school blues with honesty and humor, as “Whoever She Is” and “We’ll All Be…” show. While the Maine are capable of stinging kiss-offs (“This Is the End,” “You Left Me”), the tone here is generally idealistic, even innocent. For all the well-placed four-letter words used here, it’s the sweetness of tunes like “I Must Be Dreaming” that sticks with the listener the longest.