Waiting for My Rocket to Come

by

Jason Mraz

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I bought this CD on the strength of "The Remedy," which I'd heard numerous times on the radio and which eventually grew on me. I didn't expect to be completely blown away by the full album, but I am. This CD dabbles in a wide variety of styles--acoustic, 70s, hip-hop, a calypso sound--but it still feels cohesive to me, probably because the lyrics are uniformly terrific throughout. What might not be immediately apparent from "The Remedy" is how beautiful Mraz's voice can be--this is especially evident on the very first track, "You and I Both." A lot of people are comparing this CD to "Room for Squares," which surprises me a bit. Some of these songs are similar to John Mayer's, I guess ("Sleep All Day" comes to mind), but Jason Mraz plays around with different styles a lot more, and has a better voice. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of John Mayer, but this is the superior CD. Give it a few spins, and see how it works its way into your consciousness.

I guess it all depends on what you're looking for in an album. It's highly evident that this kid has got an amazing voice. His lyrics are fun and original, in every song I've heard, and the rhythm and bounce of this album is infectious. That said, Mraz's full talent can never be conveyed in a commercially saturated album like "Waiting for My Rocket to Come."

If you'd like to hear Jason Mraz at his finest, pick up anything he's done live. His shows are not hard to find, using the proper search engine. Essentially you've got an acoustic guitar, latin percussion, and bass guitar lighting a tavern on fire! Like any other REALLY GOOD musician, Jason Mraz truly shines on stage....especially in intimate, smaller, coffee-shop type venues. To me it seems obvious that he's like a fish out of water on this album, almost like he's being forced into a studio against his will to sing along to tracks that have already been chosen for him to sing to, stunting his amazing musicianship. Still, you really can't go wrong in buying this album. It's infinitely better than most of the other garbage being played on local radio today.

If you've already heard this album and liked what you hear, check him out live. You'll be dumbfounded at the talent bottled up inside this guy. I've not heard scatting like that since Mel Torme.