The Maine (album)

In late 2022, the Maine began teasing their ninth album and confirmed its writing.[2] On April 5, 2023, the band revived its web series Miserable Youth for a third season dedicated to showcasing the album's production, with episodes being released weekly.[3]

The group worked with Colby Wedgeworth to help produce the album.[4] The third track, "Blame" was written by John O'Callaghan and has been described as a "self-reflective song" that explores the theme of accepting responsibility for past mistakes and the desire to make amends.[5] O'Callaghan stated, "This tune is more or less about both placing and accepting blame for things I wish I could redo. The only rub is I can't go backwards, only forwards."[4]

The band officially announced their ninth album, The Maine, on June 8, 2023.[6] The album would be released on August 1, 2023, due to the date being written as 8.1.23, reflecting the significance the number 8123 has to the group. It was the number of the parking garage where the band would get together as childhood friends and as a result has been used in their song's lyrics, is the title of their own record label, and is also on the band's own 8123 Festival.[7]

Along with this announcement, the group released two new singles: "Blame" and "How to Exit a Room".[6] A music video for "Blame" was released on June 9, 2023, and was directed by Guadalupe Bustos. The video was filmed in the band's hometown of Phoenix, Arizona and was shot at the Nile Theater.[8] The music video for "How to Exit a Room" premiered on July 25, 2023. Shot in black and white, the video shows O'Callaghan riding a horse through the desert features.[9] A music video for "Dose No. 2" was released on August 1, 2023.[10] A music video for "Thoughts I Have While Lying In Bed" premiered on August 30, 2023. Directed by Nick Stafford, the video was filmed in Cincinnati. The song has garnered over 650,000 streams.[11]

The Maine celebrated the album's release with fans in Denver, Colorado for 8123 Day, where they headlined the Fillmore Auditorium with support from Real Friends and Knuckle Puck.[12] The band will headline the Sweet 16 tour, beginning in November 2023 in support of the album.[13] The group will also support Fall Out Boy on their So Much for Dust tour in February 2023.[14]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Melodic	[15]

The Maine was met with mixed to positive reviews. Adam Grundy of Chorus.fm stated, "The pacing on the new record is electric and frenetic, while still allowing a few songs to brood in the darkness to fit the overall mood and aesthetic of the black & white album artwork." He praised O'Callaghan's vocals on the first track "Dose No. 2" as well as Pat Kirch's drumming on the album's lead single "Blame".[16] He described the fourth track, "Leave in Five" as a "straight-forward dance rocker" song, praising Jared Monaco and Kennedy Brock's guitar work and comparing it to the 1975. He also complimented Garrett Nickelsen's "pulsating bass line" on the sixth track, "I Think About You All the Time" and called "How to Exit a Room" the standout track on the album.[16] Kaj Roth of Melodic stated, "The music don't come with any surprises but instead a package of upbeat singalong choruses that is easy to like, however I get the feeling The Maine can so much more. It's not memorable enough."[15]