John Mayer has earned himself a sort of bad name in pop music. Because of his soft, well-produced music and sweet lyrics, Mayer has been exiled to adult-alternative stations like Philadelphia’s B101. No serious music fan in possession of all his mental faculties would admit to listening to B101 outside of an elevator. But beyond his radio hits, Mayer has always been capable of putting out satisfying pop infused with blues and R&B flavors. Mayer puts those influences at center stage in his newest release, Continuum. And while the 12-track offering may not convert any new listeners, especially from those who see his name and are tempted to quote a sight gag in Family Guy that says “That’s enough, John Mayer,” Continuum should be recognized as a mature and accomplished album.
Mayer has already been praised for his work on Continuum by those who have heard its lead single, “Waiting on the World to Change,” and for good reason. The song perfectly bridges the image of Mayer that the populace has crafted – a teen idol whose concerns lie largely in lost love – with the legitimate singer-songwriter label that he reaches for. He calls for action the generation that his music is supposed to inspire; one day, he says, we will rule the world, and we’d better recognize it now. Except for a few harmonic missed opportunities – I still find myself singing a third above Mayer at a few points in the chorus – the track does a spectacular job.
Of course, a blues album can’t exist without a good sampling of heartache, and Mayer offers it in spades. In particular, “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You)” and “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” are Mayer’s best love-centered songs since “St. Patrick’s Day” on Room for Squares (don’t even try to argue that “Your Body is a Wonderland” is representative of Mayer’s work). In a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Bold as Love,” Mayer very nearly perfects the bluesy blend he’s looking for; its instrumental bridge sucks you right into the recording studio.
From his somewhat confusing 2005 release “Try!,” under the band name John Mayer Trio, Mayer imports “Vultures” and “Gravity.” The latter is a heart wrenching, soulful cry of world weariness, and ranks among Mayer’s best songs.
The rest of the album is consistently good, perhaps to a fault. The sound is so consistent, in fact, that it can easily lull you into ignoring it, but alertness will be rewarded. I’ll gladly out myself as an active supporter of Mayer for the sake of this album; I just hope that, in his future releases, Mayer decides to share the wealth of quality with some more up-tempo numbers.
Rating: * * * 1/2 of 5
I’ll admit it, I’m a Mayer fan. However, I wasn’t crazy about this one. It is waaaay tooo low key, even for me.