He seems to have broken down the wall separating his inner Jekyll and Hyde, and his music is reaping all the benefits. In the past John the songwriter and John the outspoken public figure have seemed almost like two separate people. Mayer’s lyrical perspective here looks predominantly inward rather than at the world around him consequently he feels present in his own music in a way that he never quite has before. ‘Whiskey’ is emblematic of the refreshing candour present all throughout Born and Raised. ‘Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey’ marks the return of the harmonica to great effect, paired with a storyline deeply relatable to those of us who have ever sought solace at the bottom of a bottle. Thankfully, this proves a mere hiccup as the charming tale of ‘Walt Grace’s Submarine Test’ gets things back on track, setting up the album’s strongest third. ‘Born and Raised’ is one of the best songs of Mayer’s career, confronting his own mortality and the fleeting nature of life with magnificent vocal harmonies from folk rock legends David Crosby and Graham Nash.Īfter the brilliant title track, the overlong ‘If I Ever Get Around to Living’ and downright lazy ‘Love Is a Verb’ threaten to derail the momentum of the record. A welcome addition to the mix on several songs is the harmonica, which lays the melancholy foundation for the album’s centrepiece title track. The reflective ‘Shadow Days’ is an early standout, as is the breezy slice of John’s trademark blues-pop ‘Something Like Olivia’. Influences of Americana, country, and folk music are immediately apparent over the first half of the record, Mayer blending them seamlessly with his signature style to create an endearing sonic palette. Mayer makes his intentions clear from the get-go, namedropping both Neil Young and Joni Mitchell on silky smooth opener ‘Queen of California’ over a backing of acoustic guitars, pedal steel, and tinkling piano keys. Consequently, Born and Raised is his most introspective, genuine, and honest work to date. While it’s fair to say Mayer’s predicament was mostly of his own making, the ensuing backlash was perhaps a tad excessive, leading him to abandon the celebrity lifestyle and hole up alone to write. Since 2009’s Battle Studies, there’s been a steady stream of bad publicity flowing his way through a combination of his twitter antics, crass interviews, and string of failed relationships, particularly that infamous dalliance with teenage pop tart Taylor Swift. The past few years have been rough on John Mayer. Review Summary: i'm headin' out west with my headphones on
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