Continuum (Digital Album)

by

John Mayer

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How many musicians have you ever heard coming out of the suburbs of Fairfield, Connecticut? If you are a John Mayer fan, you know at least one. Pigeonholed as a sensitive pop artist with the debut album, Room For Squares, Mayer shifted tack to a bluesier sound with his second studio release Heavier Things. Joining up with impresarios Steve Jordan and Pino Pallidino, Mayer broke out in full on blues mode with the live album Try! Though some dismissed him, Pallidino and Jordan don't play music with hacks, and anyone who heard the track "Good Love is on the Way" knows the boy can play. With his new studio album, the excellent Continuum, Mayer continues to demonstrate his impressive guitar chops, a more mature songwriting style, and a richer, deeper sound.

The socially conscious first single "Waiting for the World to Change" reminds that "it's hard to beat the system when you're standing at a distance." "I Don't Trust Myself" features a gorgeous guitar sound and some nice fretboard work while the outstanding track "Belief" showcases some strongly emotional lyrics: "we're never going to win the world..we're never gonna stop the war...Belief is what we are fighting for." The likely second single "Gravity" is a soft, slow blues jam on which Mayer plays some fantastic lead guitar. At his recent St Louis concert, all four of these songs blew the crowd away, generating more applause than "Daughters" or "No Such Thing." "The Heart of Life" has a clean, crisp, and spare production with layered harmonies and a subdued guitar making for an elegant track.

The solid track "Vultures" is slinky and moves to a smooth beat with its falsetto harmonies sounding surprisingly good. "Stop this Train" sounds like it came directly off Heavier Things. Mayer sings of broken hearts in the beautiful "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room," which chronicles the end of a relationship , "this is the deep and dying breath, this love we've been working on." Mayer attempts to cover Jimi Hendrix on "Bold as Love", and while the guitar work is amazingly strong his vocals aren't quite as well suited to Hendrix. An elegant ballad sure to make the ladies swoon is "Dreaming With a Broken Heart." A powerful guitar solo highlights "In Repair", and closing track "I'm Gonna Find Another You" has shades of the early Mayer song "Comfortable", but with the addition of horns and electric guitar.

The 12-track record, produced mostly by Mayer with support from Jordan and Pallidino, is an extremely strong, mature collection of songs that showcases Mayer's growth as an artist. His backing band is extremely tight, and the sonic values on ther record are exceptional. Most importantly, Mayer has grown as a songwriter, incorporating new depth and substance to his songs. Those who didn't give him a chance before would be well suited to check him out now. His live shows are incredible and the man has some serious guitar chops. Fans of his earlier pop sound may be a bit disappointed, but will likely adapt quickly based on the response of the young crowds at his concerts. Comparisons to legends like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eric Clapton are premature, but if Mayer continues on the path he's on, he will have a great career worth following closely. Highly recommended.

A.G. Corwin

St.Louis, MO

John Mayer couldn't have come to me with less of a negative vibe than he did when I was gifted this cd by a friend who is a huge fan. I have always liked her choices in music but she didn't help Mayer's cause by professing that she has often envisioned humping his leg during the many times she's seen him in concert. Her lust only underscored a common criticism of this artist; that he is more college girl heartthrob than cool guitar hero. It doesn't help that I'm beyond sick of seeing this guy's mug every time I stand on line in a supermarket and come face to face with the bathroom journals that scream at you from their perch next to the jerky and candy bars. On top of all of this, a particular interview I read revealed him to be arrogant and buying into his own hype. Therefore, I would have to say that I was not thinking much of what John Mayer's music would be like.

Well...I like it! John Mayer is not the second coming of anyone, he isn't the greatest guitarist I've ever heard, and he's exceedingly derivative in tone and vocals. It's easy to imagine the casual radio listener mistaking one of his songs for a handful of others who he sounds almost copyright-infringement like. But...it's good stuff nonetheless.

I like this one better than other cds I've subsequently listened to as there is a maturity and a bit less of the pop-idol-to-heartbroken-women vibe going on. "Belief," "Vultures," "Stop This Train," and "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" are all really nice songs full of sweet beats, his vibrato-laden Strat licks, and intelligent if, at times, a bit overly-earnest lyrics (but, hey, if it works for Don Henley...).

This is a cd that is easy to listen to, guitar-rich, and sometimes poignant and you rarely get all of those traits even from some of the many masters that Mayer seems to mimic. Ignore the E! gossip, his legion of lusty fans, the wannabe comparisons to Hendrix, Vaughn, et al, and even his unfortunate lack of humility and just give the music a chance. John Mayer's music is good stuff...but I still don't have the slightest interest in humping his leg.