John Mayer’s Continuum and the future of mainstream jazz rock By Nick Katers  Thursday, October 5, 2006

For those of you who have lived under a rock for the last five years, let me introduce you to John Mayer. Mayer broke onto the music scene with his hit debut, “Room for Squares,” in 2001 and has not stopped producing new music. His follow up record, “Heavier Things,” was wildly popular and songs like “Daughters” cemented his reputation as a favorite of young women throughout the United States. John Mayer has stepped out of the studio in support of both records and his live CD and DVD, “Any Given Thursday,” shows the development of Mayer from a run-of-the-mill guitarist to a genuine performer. With his recently released record “Continuum,” Mayer is trying to keep disappointment at bay and live up to the lofty expectations of a fickle music community. Can Mayer live up to the mountain of expectations that he has built up for himself? The answer is a qualified yes, with some trepidation about a future that features more willowy rock songs and a relationship with ever-present celebrity distraction Jessica Simpson.

“Continuum” is a good collection of songs navigating through the guitar riffs of rock’n’roll and the smooth vocals of jazz. However, this album lacks the pacing or the flow of “Room for Squares” or “Heavier Things” and certainly lacks Mayer’s running dialogue in concert. One worry about Mayer in “Continuum” is that he narrowly toes the line between his typical smooth rock and lulling his listeners to sleep with soft, meandering vocals. Despite this concern, “Continuum” should up the jazz and funk portions of Mayer’s repertoire and Mayer fans shouldn’t be disappointed with this offering.

Some of the songs on Mayer’s newest album effectively mix his artistry with the guitar, his clever lyrics, and his ability to change tempo often within one song. The song “Waiting for the World to Change,” featured on the season premiere of “CSI,” is a laid back rock song that allows Mayer to use his vocal range to explore the frustration with the world around him. “ Bold as Love” features the same sound as on the jazzier John Mayer Trio offering “Try!” and has some great instrumental work throughout the song. In “I Don’t Trust Myself (with loving you),” Mayer seems to be bridging the elements of softer fare like “Daughters” with more rock-oriented elements in songs like “Neon.”

However, a few of the songs on “Continuum” left me feeling a bit drowsy and wanting for an infusion of Mayer’s rock sensibility. The two songs that bothered me were “Gravity” and “Dreaming with a Broken Heart.” Both songs dripped with the sentimentality that sometimes sinks Mayer and other guitarists over the last five years, an obvious attempt to gather in the pop audience that listens to Top 40 music stations. As well, Mayer’s tempo seemed to go from laid back to comatose throughout these songs and in other parts of the album. Mayer needs to channel what made him successful on “Room for Squares,” which is an up-tempo, contagious style that gets people out of their seats instead of into bed.

Mayer’s “Continuum” features some good songs but drifts ever so gently toward his “Daughters” phase, which he has stated he wants to get away from. It is a must-have for Mayer fans and offers some good songs for those who want to pick piece meal from online music services. However, the casual fan may not want to pick this up at your local record store if only because it is his most inconsistent offering. For a good primer of Mayer, pick up “Any Given Thursday” and hope that he brings some of his raw rock emotion from concerts to the studio.

Recent Articles From This Column:
John Mayer’s Continuum and the future of mainstream jazz rock - 10/05/2006