Maroon 5 sounds better off the remix wagon

A good remix album is one that enjoys the best of both the group's originality and the DJ's dexterity to perk up the sound to give it a dancey effect.

Album: Call & response: The remix album by maroon 5
For: Rs 395
Available at all leading music stores
Rating: 2.5/5

A good remix album is one that enjoys the best of both the group's originality and the DJ's dexterity to perk up the sound to give it a dancey effect. But, Maroon 5's third effort, after Songs About Jane (2002) and It Won't Be Soon Before Long (2007), resonates with a whimpering in-between sound that jerks out nothing more than an eye-rolling, indifferent reaction, leave alone a few hip shakes. The tweaking on many tracks like Sunday Morning remixed by DJ-drummer Questlove, is understated no wonder it's one of the few tracks on the album that gets our thumbs up.

Then, there is the extreme: Little of Your Time by Of Montreal, a mix of noisy, unbearable and disappointing mash-ups. A subtle jazzy riff does little for Mark Ronson's version of Wake Up Call, and This Love by C. Tricky Stewart is packaged with a R 'n' B beat so weak you feel sorry for the original. She Will be Loved by Maroon 5 and Pharrel Williams is a mockery of the feel-good emotional number that put the band on the top charts and by track 12, we are ready to press eject.

But, Goodnight Goodnight by Deerhoof comes as a pleasant surprise, followed by Tiesto's Not Falling Apart: a true example of some seriously good remixing that continues to let Adam Levine steal the show with his strong vocals while tweaking the background enough to put the track in a whole new setting.

Cut Copy's This Love (Galactic Beach House Mix) is a fun, progressive spin to the track a fresh treatment to an overplayed number. The album ends on a high note with Paul Oakenfold's mix of If I Never See You Again featuring Rihanna, a track you can imagine hitting the dance floor with a vengeance. Besides the last few highlights, the erratic listening pleasure had us fishing out for the original CDs, for instant relief, what else?