Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Good Music....what a shame
Room for Squares shows everything thats wrong with the music industry. First of all, its a great cd, having some very very good songs on it (Love Song for No One, Neon, 83, and my favorite 3x5). However, all of the tracks have been overproduced and made to sound glib and poppy. If you want to hear Mayer at his best, download some of his concerts (they are out there if you know where to look). Then there are the fans. I couldn't help but laugh at the reviewer who said they were a John Mayer fan for a few months cus they heard 'No Such Thing' on the radio and liked it, then they went out and bought the cd and discovered he played other songs. He's been marketed to a pop audience that will probably be his demise, as it has to every other teeny-bopper band appealing to 13 year olds with "I Love You" sings at every concert. Finally, there is Mayer himself. More and more, he has proven himself to be cocky and arrogant about his music. If he wants some real respect, he should have read the meaning of humbleness and modesty in the dictionary in school. Despite all this, I do like the music, though I find myself listening to it less and less recently. If only more bands could live up to their potential.Oh and anyone who makes any comparison of him to Dave Matthews is fooling themselves. Mayer is no where near the level of reaching that sort of musical talent and deep meaning.
Rating: - Listen (really listen) and you will like
I purchased this album on the strengths of a televised John Mayer concert. From a guitar playing standpoint, the guy is fairly wicked, with a style reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughn.I have to admit, I was quite disappointed with the album at first listen. There was no obvious sign of the guy's guitar talent (no extended solos, etc. - Probably wanted to focus on the songs and keep the CD radio friendly) other than the use of chords not usually found in the top 40. I think those chords are the reason that everyone thinks JM's music sounds so similar to DMB. The more I listened to it though, the more I started to realize that the guy is a really clever songwriter. His songs center mainly around relationships, which is nothing new, but the way he structures the musical makeup of the songs around the lyrics is something not usually done in the pop arena. Check out 'My Stupid Mouth' where John sings about never being able to keep his mouth shut and getting himself into trouble as a result. He states "...I'm never speaking up again, starting now..." after describing a date where he messed things up because he said too much in an effort to be liked by the girl. The song is silent for four beats and then suddenly starts up again with "One more thing...", as if to show us that he truly can't keep his mouth shut, no matter how resolute his will. Absolutely a perfect match of subject matter, lyrics, and song structure. Another favorite - a verse from 'City Love': "Friday night, and we've been drinking,
2AM, I swear I might propose. We pay our tab, split a cab,
Call each other up when we get home. Falling asleep to the sound...
of sirens." Who hasn't had a perfect night like that in the first stages of a relationship? JM really does a great job at conveying the bliss of meeting someone new, and the joy, hopes, fears, and regrets inherent in love with each of his songs. That last line is a direct homage to Simon and Garfunkel, and is done exactly as in the "Sounds of Silence". Couple the clever, fresh songwriting with those witty homages and the perfect distillation of what every single twenty something male wants or misses in a relationship, and the album is truly worth a listen. Granted, not every song will grab you by the collar, but chances are you'll find something in the words, tunes, or otherwise that'll make you glad you bought it. JM's sound and style is fresh and totally different from the rest of the angst-driven rock, hip hop, or bubblegum fluff on the radio today. As for the Dave Matthews comparisons, I don't really feel there's a basis for them. If you want DMB, buy DMB albums. John Mayer isn't trying to be Dave Matthews and deserves to stand on his own merits as a songwriter, performer, and musician. And for those guys who are too manly to listen to "relationship" songs - the women really seem to dig John M. Play this one in your car and they'll think you're the sweetest person around. And you'll get to listen to some great songs as a bonus.
Rating: - Deja vu
Ok. Every review I've read of John Mayer's CD, Room for Squares, likens his voice to Dave Matthews, Sting, Stevie Ray Vaughn, among others. While I don't entirely disagree with any of these comparisons, there is a lead singer of an 80's pop band who I believe more closely compares to John Mayer's voice styling. Do any of you folks who came of age in the mid-80's remember the British band, Go West? If you can find a sound clip of the band (or if you still happen to have the tape), listen and compare. Especially the songs, Neon and Love Song For No One. Even some of the music is similar. Catchy, pop-type tunes. Granted, John Mayer's music has much richer acoustic sounds (less of that techno-beat that 80's music is known for) and is seemingly more developed as a musician. I truly enjoy John Mayer's CD but it causes déjà vu back to my high school days. Not necessarily a bad thing.
|
