Barenaked Ladies - Maroon (2LP) - Deluxe Edition Vinyl

Barenaked Ladies followed the runaway success of Stunt with Maroon, released on 12 September 2000 and produced by Don Was. It did not try to remake One Week’s lightning-in-a-bottle moment, which was a smart move. Instead, the Canadian five-piece leaned into craft, warmth and quietly sharp storytelling. The result debuted at No. 1 in Canada and cracked the US Billboard 200’s top five, off the back of songs that stick because they feel lived-in rather than flashy.

Pinch Me led the album’s rollout and still feels like a masterclass in late-90s-to-early-2000s radio pop. Ed Robertson’s murmured, rhythm-tumbling verses tumble into a chorus that aches with a very Canadian sort of melancholy. It was a top 20 hit in the US and remains one of those singles that sneaks up on you in a shop and suddenly you are singing the bridge under your breath. Falling for the First Time took a different tack, a brisk power-pop swoop with big harmonies and a lyric about vulnerability that lands without schmaltz. Too Little Too Late adds a tart, guitar-forward bite, all spit and regret in three tidy minutes.

What sells Maroon now is how strong the deep cuts feel. Conventioneers is a whispered confessional set under hotel-bar lights, Steven Page delivering one of his most tender vocals while the band keep it hushed with brushed drums and small, telling fills. Baby Seat skewers arrested development with a wry grin, a Page speciality, while Never Do Anything plays like a postcard from the edge of burnout. Then there is the closer, Tonight Is the Night I Fell Asleep at the Wheel, a car-crash fable that swells from lullaby to shiver. It is theatrical, but the band’s restraint keeps the drama from tipping over.

The production choices help. Was gives the record a warm, woody centre that flatters the band’s strengths. Jim Creeggan’s bass, often on upright, feels springy and melodic rather than thuddy. Kevin Hearn’s keys and textures colour the corners without crowding the frame, a welcome presence after his well-documented health battle the previous year. Tyler Stewart’s drums stay musical and unshowy, letting the songs breathe. Through it all, the Page and Robertson partnership anchors the album. They trade leads, stack harmonies and write with a humane, slightly skewed eye that rewards repeat listens.

If Stunt was the world’s introduction to Barenaked Ladies as global hitmakers, Maroon is the sound of a band settling into its skin. The humour is still there, but it is gentler and often bittersweet. You can hear it in the conversational asides and the way a punchline arrives with a sigh. That tone earned respect at the time, with reviewers noting the darker shades and tighter writing, and it holds up. Put this next to Gordon or Born on a Pirate Ship and you can trace a clear line, a catalogue that keeps circling back to character, melody and the warm buzz of five players listening to each other.

A quick word for crate diggers. If you stumble across Maroon vinyl, do not overthink it. This is a record built for a turntable, with those stacked harmonies and mid-tempo grooves blooming nicely at home volume. People hunting for Barenaked Ladies vinyl usually start with Stunt, but Maroon rewards the same ritual, side A to side B without skipping. If you prefer to buy Barenaked Ladies records online, keep an eye on reliable shops that specialise in well-pressed reissues and back-catalogue titles. The band’s studio run translates well to the format, so Barenaked Ladies albums on vinyl make a lot of sense if your shelves lean towards melodic rock and bright, literate pop.

For local heads, ask around your favourite Melbourne record store or the better-curated spots dealing in vinyl records Australia wide. Maroon sits in that sweet spot where radio favourites meet deeper album craft, so it wears repeat spins. Two decades on, it still feels like a companionable listen, the kind you throw on while cooking or sorting sleeves, and then realise you have stopped what you are doing to sit down for the last track. That is the quiet trick of Maroon. It sidles in, then it sticks.