Household name John Mayer has been in the news lately about his comeback after a two year silence after the widely talked about Rolling Playboy interviews. It seems the public eye had more interest in his up and down private gone kiss and tell life than the reason why he ever was a celebrity in the first place. But here at SOT, we vow to focus on what should matter to you and leave the gossip to Perez and dumb blonde bombshells.
John has come a long way. From his breakthrough success as a pop prince to becoming Slowhand Jr. and settling down as a Battle Star right up to his hibernation to be reborn as a Western Cowboy. John announced "Born and Raised" as his next album mid last year and was continually giving fans scenic glimpse of what the album will be intil its official release today.
"Shadow Days" was the first single that was released a couple weeks back then followed with its own music video that would set the mood for the whole album. The song starts of with a drum roll as John starts his trip to the west in search for something beneath the cony mountains and long stretch of fields playing his new custom Martin atop his defender. The words chosen are like excerpts from cliches that 90% of them can be found on popular songs sprawling around. Combined with a major un-complex tune, I could easily imagine that this could be a song written by studio songwriters for American Idol winners. The great thing though is that the guitar work is still comprehensively talented amidst the major notes as basis. A true testament that John up to this moment is still more of a guitar player than a singer or songwriter.
First track off the bat is "Queen of California". It starts with an acoustic strum that's bright as sunny skies and beaches of California. The tune suggests of a hopeful dream becoming a reality and freedom from the past as the beats starts digging in to your bones. The guitar blends and solo is a perfect compliment, a tone similar to what was introduced to us in Shadow Days, that has a country slide laid back character quite different from previous JM strat settings.
"Age of Worry", even though in some ways it has no relation whatsoever, but the track reminds me of the Christmas season. The echo of the percussion and winter hums give me a picture of carolers in the frigid streets singing to their hearts desire in a cold silent night. But this is about giving up worrying, truly we should not care. John composed this song straight out, its not guitar driven, and it feels the class and power of an orchestra. Though John is not known as a powerful singer, but he
sang this perfectly considering his condition and capacity to strut those vocal chords. Its his song anyway. Something new and surprising. So far liking it.
Olivia Oliva Oliva.... Many for sure wants to know who she is. And what hes done to the Connecticut native, as he has composed a somewhat intriguing and mysterious song that we again would not want to over analyze further. All we care is the emotion in it and rhythmic electric guitar strums all throughout the song. A breather for the left lung from the Martin strums. And a solo widely reminds us of the old bluesman in John without compromising the whole character of the album.
Ahh yes the flagship track. What is an album like this without a harmonica eh? Many said he's mirroring Dylan and makes a Dylanish album. Dylan is different, though blows that harmonica and hungs a guitar around his neck, but John delivers this album with his own results. And we've heard of what John has been up to even though he is away from the limelight for a while, and we can confidently say that the simple lyrical genius of this song is for everyone, to relate, to tell, to share, and say a story that even the most successful music artists in our generation has his own gaps. I personally love the words in this, its yes hard to take and hard to fake but luckily for John has come to being reborn and re-raised shall I say. To most of us, we may still be on the way and this track is for us. When I first listened to this track, I instantly remembered is Adele's "Someone like you". The recognizable tune has some similarities on some parts of this track and seemingly coincidental that Adele also mentions something about being born and raised on her song. But wait, John reprises this on the last track.
"If I Get Around to Living" is undoubtedly my favorite track, just ask my old school record player. At first I said, well next track please... but as it moved on to a few minutes on the track where a familiar guitar tune comes up, a gave it the whole nine yards. And yes got to replay and replay it again and again and again again. Yes its CSN inspired or majorly influenced, but come on... it may not be that original but its excellently produced. Its got the typical ingredients of a CSN song, continuous parallel sounds of progressive smooth old school folk and pop electric and acoustic guitar, organic country keys, and a seemingly endless rhythm that housed like 3 songs or so that you wish would never end and will just play forever and ever. We've never seen John play like this, and its total prodigy. What a tribute to the classics through CSN. His transition from the innocent looking acoustic artist to a mature long haired hat wearing Montana resident is as smooth and beautifully unpredictable as this song goes on. Can we possibly have them collaborate in a stage performance soon? Get well soon John. Aced it on this track.
The other remaining tracks are notably good too. They fill-up what needs to be done, you know what I'm saying. It completes everything without competing. Well less competition is not favorable sometimes but we can live through em. The track "A Face to Call Home" has an inspiring ending giving us a contemporary message that the pop prince has come home sweet home after being long gone.
One of the biggest hurdles with this album is that their ain't going to be tours and live performances to promote this album. because of John's current condition, but I'm confident with this one that it'll live on through. Why? Because a well made record will succeed and will see through it to everyone's airwaves by itself. So am I saying that John has rebounded from the not so wonderful heartbreak album? Well honestly after the Continuum era, I've accepted the fact of the human life cycle and thank the Lord almighty daily that we have an artist like John that roams around us everyday. Born and Raised, through the words of John is the most honest album hes ever made. Well, it kinda is. Honest that its an acceptance of saying its ok, its ok to be like this or like that, to come to this or that. We can't always justify everything, it just has to be that way. No grammys, no blues licks, no pop sensation, no tour, just the pleasure of writing songs and sharing them. Know what matters the most.
