MOG

Most of you that follow my now infrequent posts will note a dramatic departure from the genre I typically write about. Don’t worry – I was not dropped as a baby only to realize the effects as a 25 year-old. Sooner or later, I will fly back to Planet Hip-Hop, but for now, this album is one very much worth writing about.

Usually we remember the John Mayer who released Room For Squares and made a mega-cheesy music video that amounted to pillow talk. I am thankful that he and thus we has/have moved past that phase. The John Mayer of today is an entirely different beast – quite frankly, I can’t get enough.

I downloaded this album a few weeks ago and haven’t stopped listening. When it comes to guitar, I will always listen to Blues over anything else – stylistically the genre is on another level. Add to that the ridiculous amount of talent some of these players have and you have a recipe for amazing sounding music. Mayer abandoned his temporary pop roots to delve back into Blues guitar, and the results are fantastic.

So far, my favorite song is Belief. If you’ve listened to this song, you might be puzzled given that Belief is one of more mainstream sounding songs on the album. That being said, I’m enjoying the atmospheric effects of the song. Sure, it’s a bit poppy, but it immediately brings to mind images of sitting around a campfire with friends, sipping on a cold beer, enjoying the enhanced visibility in the sky, and last but not least smiling. Imagine John Mayer hanging out at campfire without acknowledging his fame – that kind of relaxation is priceless in music.

There’s also Waiting on The World to Change – a mainstay among his repertoire but certainly not the shining star on the album. I like this song a lot, but my favorite piece of it isn’t the guitar or even Mayer’s vocal prowess – it is the inclusion of vibes – they just sound cool, enough said.

Lastly, I want to write about Good Love is On the Way. I won’t comment on the lyrics because, as you know, I’m not much of a lyrics guy. What I do really like in this song is the guitar – especially the rhythm of said guitar. It is by no means revolutionary, but it has just the right amount of Blues sensibility to make it perfect. Vocals and guitar interact to become one fluid instrument, something you definitely will not find in every song if even in the majority of songs out there. Simply put, Mayer masterfully wrote and pieced together this song, and it IS the shining star on the album.