With his feet firmly planted in a funk-filled past, Adam Levine is dancing into a blindingly bright future. The Maroon 5 frontman shines on It Won't Be Soon Before Long, and right off the bat the band proves there's no slumping -- or slouching -- involved in this sophomore effort.

Songs About Jane, the 2002 album that propelled them to the top of the charts three years later and made Grammy winners of the band, remains a fine effort. But it's obvious that Maroon 5 set out to top itself -- and succeeded. While their debut album saw love breaking Levine's heart, this time around he's turning the tables. Clearly written from a different vantage point, IWBSBL is a groove-heavy look at love from a slightly less involved point of view.

Holding his heart at a distance instead of wearing it on his sleeve, Levine wanders through a dozen tales of failed romance with rarely more than a shrug. The infectious opener, "If I Never See Your Face Again," sees him slightly disappointed that things didn't work out. However, like a game show contestant who's made it to the final round, he's mostly surprised that he got this far before things fell apart.

Some of Maroon 5's observations might seem obnoxious if the music wasn't so impossibly catchy. Steeped in '70s funk ethics and injected with some modern R&B, Maroon 5 knows how to rework the pop formula into a fresh package. As they carefully side step love's carnage, the band serves up a smooth, polished sound that is the perfect frame for Levine's falsetto.

"Makes Me Wonder" is an obvious choice for the first single; this post-romance reflection is the catchiest kiss-off to hit the airwaves in eons. And it's far from being an exception -- with obvious influences from Prince, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Sting, Maroon 5 gives 12 solid reasons to buy this disc.

Clever writing complements the pop-funk hybrid; on "Wake Up Call," he finds a reasonable solution for ridding the planet of a romantic rival and is completely matter-of-fact about it. Stevie Wonder's musical influences are so evident on "Won't Go Home Without You" and "Can't Stop" that you'll want to check the songwriting credits. In both cases, love has gone south, but on the former, he's hopeful he can turn it around.

Even in those moments of hope, it's obvious that he won't be broken-hearted if romance doesn't go his way. Nothing sums that up better than the ballad "Nothing Last Forever," which borrows chunks of its melody from Janis Ian's "At Seventeen." He's not happy about the distance growing between them -- but a breakup won't break him down.

"Kiwi" has a Prince-like vibe, while "Not Falling Apart" employs Sting's influences as Levine defiantly refuses to succumb to a broken heart -- although his argument isn't entirely convincing. He reluctantly shows a tender side on "Better That We Break" as he accepts the dissolution of a relationship he truly enjoyed.

With its new disc, Maroon 5 elevates itself to a whole new realm. Collectively, the tracks paint a picture of a man whose heart is like a disco ball -- it keeps you gladly spinning around and, while you wouldn't necessarily want one in your house, it sure makes a night on the dance floor more enjoyable.

By Paula Felps