Music Review // Conor Maynard "+11 Hours"

It feels like over the last few months we really got to know Conor Maynard through the single releases and now to hear these songs come together for an album is quite good.  There is an intro and an outro on this album, both of which are instructions heard over the speakers in an airport about the arrivals and departures and that certainly feels like a good way to bookend this album with the songs in between.

Conor Maynard has this feeling like The Weeknd or someone who plays generally pop music but elements of rock and soul come through as well.  "By Your Side" is a faster song with drum machines while "Enemies" has big beats.  "How Am I" has these cool almost 80's synths and there's this underlying way about these songs which makes me think about A Flock of Seagulls, specifically because of the song "I Ran".  "Dark Side" has this slower Phil Collins percussion behind it while "A Different Way" feels more like a ballad.  

Many of these songs are lyrically about what the title says- "Dark Side" for example being about the dark side of love.  I particularly enjoy the song "Enemies" because it's about not knowing you're right for someone but yet you still get along with them so you want to become enemies so you can go your separate ways.  This happens so often and I just feel like so many people stay together even though they shouldn't just because they aren't enemies (and I speak from experience)

Whether it be that slower power ballad or a faster synthwave type of song that reminds me of a Grand Theft Auto commercial, the general vibe of this album remains as one that is perfect for summer.   This is beach weather music.  This is driving in your car with the windows rolled down and sunglasses on type of music.  And since we're getting into summer, it's fitting, but it's also just good to have this type of bright sound as something you can put on when you need it.