True, John Mayer convinced us that our “Body is a Wonderland” in 2001’s “Room For Squares,” but could the release of “Heavier Things” live up to its name?
While Mayer’s previous album suffered severe attacks, fans awaited more than just the pretty-boy appearance to prove critics wrong. Of course, Mayer’s acoustic to electric guitar look on the album cover does not hurt.
According to the official MTV Web site, John Mayer joked about the swap from acoustic to electric, “I see them [acoustic and electric] very much like the same thing, one just gets you laid a hell of a lot more. Well, one of them will get you laid after like an hour and a half of conversation. That’s the acoustic.” Before female fanatics stampede the oh-so-charming singer/songwriter, it might be wise to review the ten-track album first.
It seems that Mayer is just as confused as his critics when it comes to his possible 15-minutes of fame ticking away.
The first track, “Clarity,” expresses the issue, “By the time I recognize this moment/ This moment will be gone/ But I will bend the light pretending/ That it somehow lingered on.” While the track exudes Mayer’s tranquil trademark sound, it definitely possesses potential.
The calm, yet catchy, second track, “Bigger Than My Body,” introduces Mayer’s contagious optimistic side. Mayer sings, “Yes I’m grounded/ Got my wings clipped/ I’m surrounded by all this pavement/ Guess I’ll circle/ While I’m waiting for my fuse to dry/ Someday I’ll fly/ Someday I’ll soar/ Someday I’ll be so damn much more/ Cause I’m bigger than my body gives me/ credit for.” The uplifting message on this track is so captivating that it would make a successful next single.
While Mayer’s tracks prove to be credible, the “Heavier Things” CD booklet offers fans interesting information such as a map, listing the song creations by location, song tempo by sequence, and song keys on the keyboard. What could make an artist more “real” than knowing that the eighth track, “Daughters,” was created in New Zealand?
In the sixth track, “Home Life,” Mayer discusses balancing a future relationship and endless touring. Mayer expresses, “I want to see the end of the fame/ I want to learn her last name/ Finish on a Friday/ And sit in traffic on the highway/ See, I refuse to believe/ That my life’s gonna be/ Just some string of incompletes/ Never to lead me to anything remotely close to a home life.”
Mayer told MTV, “There is nothing romantic to me saying, `Yep my guitar is my first wife.’ Well then, you’re gonna be unhappy for the rest of your life, `cause it’s not gonna listen to you.”
While “Heavier Things” does present more in depth issues through Mayer’s journal-like musical content, his mellow style may not attract new audiences. John Mayer’s “Heavier Things” is currently is stores.