Heavier Things

After making his introduction as a sensitive, acoustic-styled songwriter on 2001's Room for Squares, John Mayer steadily widened his approach over the subsequent years, encompassing everything from blues-rock to adult contemporary in the process. Arriving during the tail end of teen pop's heyday, he crafted pop music for a more discerning audience, spiking his songcraft with jazz chords and literate turns of phrase. The combination proved to be quite popular, as Room for Squares went triple platinum before its follow-up release, Heavier Things, arrived in September 2003. Mayer continued to retool his sound with each album, however, moving beyond the material that had launched his career and adopting elements of rock, blues, and soul. Moreover, he partnered with legends of several genres, making guest appearances on albums by Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, and B.B. King, while touring alongside jazz icon Herbie Hancock. Mayer also retained enough pop/rock foundation to continue his reign of the charts, making him one of the decade's most popular songwriters.

Born in Bridgeport, CT, and raised in the nearby town of Fairfield, Mayer began playing blues as a teenager. By 1997, his skill on the electric guitar was enough to warrant admission into the Berklee College of Music, although Mayer dropped out after two semesters to pursue a songwriting career in Atlanta. Working alongside former classmate Clay Cook, he frequented the local coffeehouse circuit and began co-writing material that melded palatable pop/rock with unexpected flourishes. Cook and Mayer parted ways shortly thereafter, however, with Cook joining the Marshall Tucker Band's touring lineup for several years. Now a solo artist by default, Mayer recorded several of the duo's songs, packaged them alongside a handful of his own compositions, and self-released the EP in 1999 under the title Inside Wants Out.

Mayer secured a deal with Aware Records in early 2000, and recording sessions for his debut album commenced later that year with producer John Alagia, renowned for his work with Dave Matthews and Ben Folds Five. Although Inside Wants Out had been a decidedly acoustic effort, Room for Squares proved to be a more expansive affair, with several of Mayer's old songs receiving new, radio-ready arrangements. Released in 2001 by both Aware and Columbia Records, the album quickly launched Mayer's career, with "No Such Thing" and "Your Body Is a Wonderland" both becoming Top 20 hits.

As Mayer hit the road in support of the album, his considerable talent as a lead guitarist (a skill that had been downplayed during Room for Squares) flourished, leading him to showcase several blues-influenced solos on his 2003 live album, Any Given Thursday. That same year, Mayer won his first Grammy Award for "Your Body Is a Wonderland." He returned to the Grammy ceremony two years later, this time to accept a pair of awards for "Daughters," a soulful ballad from his lucrative sophomore release, Heavier Things. Commercial and critical success notwithstanding, Mayer's interest in other genres convinced him to take a brief break from pop music, and he tested his instrumental chops by collaborating with blues artists (Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Eric Clapton) and jazz legends (John Scofield, Herbie Hancock). He also assembled the John Mayer Trio, whose bluesy rock & roll was displayed on the band's first and only release, Try!

Mayer returned to his solo career with 2006's Continuum, a warmly received album that saw him focusing on blues, pop, and contemporary soul. "Gravity" found modest success as a single, but "Waiting on the World to Change" proved to be the album's commercial highlight, cracking the Top 20 in February 2007 and winning a Grammy that same month. Later that year, Mayer achieved his highest-charting single to date with "Say," a song from the Rob Reiner film The Bucket List. After "Say" peaked at number 12, the song was included in a reissued version of Continuum, and it took home yet another Grammy Award (along with "Gravity") in early 2009. Following the release of a live album, Where the Light Is, Mayer once again returned to the studio in 2009, this time to record Battle Studies.

—Andrew Leahey

A few nights prior to writing this review, I reviewed John Mayer's Toronto concert. The very idea that he performed at the city's Air Canada Centre was a big leap from my standpoint. With two albums to his credit, the thought of him filling half of the venue would've been a plus. But when the place nearly sold out, it was a big surprise. It's that same buzz surrounding the Connecticut-born and now Atlanta-based performer that is making his new album a big deal. But is it all that big of a deal? Well, in some cases yes and in others, particularly the last few songs, no. Oh god no!

The opening track, "Clarity", starts off with a simple acoustic guitar and a steady handclap that works nicely in the background. Here Mayer starts off slowly before moving into a style that yearns for adult-contemporary radio. Light but not lightweight, punchy but not over-the-top, the chorus just ambles along. Mayer hates being compared to Dave Matthews, but if it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck (not that either party does), the comparisons will be there. If Matthews had done more of this on his solo debut, the results might have been better. The ensuing tune, the leadoff single "Bigger than My Body", makes the album soar for a brief period of time. Having all the right parts in nearly all the right places, the tune is easily the single. Unfortunately, Mayer doesn't revisit this up-tempo format often for the album's remainder.

"Something's Missing", which is also found on Mayer's live album Any Given Thursday, has a soulful flavor that works to his strengths. The guitar riff resembles Bruce Cockburn or Sting, but it still has its effect later on. The checklist itemized near the conclusion is another asset Mayer has going for him: strong songwriting without being too highbrow or quirky. "New Deep" sounds like an extension of the previous song, with nearly a similar arrangement with less edge. Some might consider this a breather, but given how it drops off later, it's not really that bad. What is perhaps the album's highlight is "Come Back to Bed", a horn-tinged Motown-esque slow dance that Mayer pulls off with flying colors. Drawing the listener in early and often, Mayer's blues guitar prowess is shown in spots. "And I won't sleep through this / I survive on the breath you are finished with", he sings.

"Home Life" is more urban sounding with its brand of back-beat and structure. Although building to a relatively decent chorus, it seems to miss the mark and falls flat from the first chorus onwards. Fans who find no fault with their heroes will lap this type of song up, but the groove comes too late to right this musical ship. Thankfully, "Split Screen Sadness" atones for the last tune. Bringing to mind early alternative rock, the bass line and Mayer's vocal shine while the keyboards add an anthem-like quality. It's also possibly as close as Mayer will ever get to a U2 effort. Slow building but definitely a toe-tapper, the song can basically do no wrong, even in its mellower melancholic lines. "I still wish you'd fought me 'til your dying day / Don't let me get away", he sings as if he's been influenced in some way by the Cure's Robert Smith.

The last three tracks have one promising song. The acoustic folk-like "Daughters" brings Sting to mind, but it's definitely a breather song when played live. The simple strumming and wordplay mesh well together. But the final two tracks sound more like filler than anything here. It's a noticeable drop as "Only Heart" tries for a pop rock idea, but it sounds far too forced and, to a lesser, extent, rushed. "Do not waste this evening", Mayer opens the song. Perhaps he's muttering to himself as the song is just too glossy and color-by-numbers. What is more depressing is how it shines compared to "Wheel", a tune left best to people like Ron Sexsmith. The chorus tends to keep it together a tad, but it seems too mediocre. Overall, Heavier Things is a sophomore effort that doesn't have as many drawbacks as one might assume. Seems he's in it for the long haul.