Black & White (The Maine album)

Black & White is the second album by The Maine and was released on July 12, 2010. The album features singles "Inside of You" and "Growing Up". It debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 with 22,634 copies sold in its first week.

Background and recording
In July 2009, it was announced that the group had recently signed to major label Warner Bros. Records.

Recorded in California with producer Howard Benson, Black & White sees The Maine stepping out of their comfort zone and creating a cohesive body of work that is an "album", in the most traditional sense of the word.

"We're trying to go for more of a raw feel – really just a free, loose record", singer John O'Callaghan explains. The album was inspired by the classic sounds of American rock-n-roll while also containing relatable themes that retain the sense of youthfulness and fun that is distinctly The Maine. Acoustic versions of the songs "Inside of You" and "Right Girl" can be found on YouTube as well as the deluxe version of the record.

Release
On the release date of the album, July 13, the band and their crew embarked on an entire 24-hour event which had been streamed live via their MySpace page, Ustream, and website. Everyone who viewed the event online had chances to win some prizes, see acoustic sets, and also receive calls from the band through their "Say Now" account. "Inside of You" was released on the band's website as a promotional single and later announced as the first official single off the album on May 3, 2010, shortly after it had been uploaded as a lyrics video on their official YouTube page. A music video for "Inside of You", directed by Mike Jones and Jim Sullos, was released on July 19, 2010. "Growing Up" was released on May 17, 2010 as the second single for the album.

"Right Girl" was released as the first promotional single from the album, peaking at number 25 on the Billboard Rock Digital Song Sales chart on the week of July 31, 2010. A music video for the song was released on November 24. In March, the group went on a tour of the UK. "Don't Stop Now" was released as a free download through the group's Facebook profile. A video for "Listen to Your Heart" premiered via PureVolume on July 1. Throughout July, the group released a multi-part documentary about the making of the album.

Critical reception
Black & White received mixed to positive reviews. Tim Sendra of AllMusic stated that the album had "a more mature and measured approach." He complimented songs like "Fuel to the Fire" and "Right Girl", however was a lot more critical of the overall album stating, "the record and the band lack the kind of individuality that will really hook people. Black & White sounds more like a genetically engineered record than the organic work of a bunch of guys who really care about what they are doing." Billboard said, "Black & White, finds the five-piece indulging in guitar pop-driven love anthems, mixed with a splash of ’80s hair band flare." Sean Reid of Alter the Press! stated, "It's a record that has decent hooks and catchy lyrics but other then that, there isn't much to shout about." Kaj Roth of Melodic praised the tracks, "Inside of You", "Growing Up" and "Don't Stop Now" that shows "the best of the pop/rock."

The album won the Alternative Press "Album of the Year" award in 2010.

Track listing

 * Bonus tracks

Personnel

 * Members
 * John O'Callaghan - lead vocals, piano
 * Jared Monaco – lead guitar
 * Kennedy Brock – rhythm guitar, vocals
 * Garrett Nickelsen – bass guitar
 * Pat Kirch – drums, percussion


 * Production
 * Craig Aaronson – A&R
 * Keith Armstrong – Mixing assistant
 * Howard Benson – producer
 * Martin Briley – composer
 * Dana Calitri – composer
 * Chris Concepcion – technical assistance
 * David Bassett – composer
 * Paul DeCarli – digital editing
 * Hatsukazu "Hatch" Inagaki – engineer
 * Nik Karpen – mixing assistant
 * Tim Kirch – art conception
 * Chris Lord-Alge – mixing
 * Dirk Mai – art conception, photography


 * The Maine – art conception, composer, primary artist
 * Zac Maloy – composer
 * Jon Nicholson – drum technician
 * Nina Ossoff – composer
 * Donny Phillips – art conception, art direction, design
 * Mike Plotnikoff – engineer
 * Xavier Ramos – marketing
 * Michito Sánchez – percussion
 * Andrew Schubert - mixing
 * Brad Townsend – mixing
 * Marc VanGool – guitar, guitar technician
 * Butch Walker – composer
 * Gregg Wattenburg – composer
 * Mark Weinburg – composer