Review Summary: I'm headin' out west with my headphones on.
6 of 6 thought this review was well writtenThe past few years have been rough on John Mayer. Since the release of 2009’s
Battle Studies, there has been a steady stream of bad publicity flowing his way due to a combination of his twitter antics, crass behaviour during interviews, and a string of failed relationships – particularly his infamous dalliance with teenage pop tart Taylor Swift. While it would be difficult to argue that Mayer’s predicament wasn’t almost completely of his own doing, the backlash that followed was perhaps somewhat excessive. Mayer responded by abandoning the celebrity lifestyle, setting up a simple life in rural Montana and focusing on writing music. The resulting record is his most introspective, genuine and honest work to date.
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. Influences of Americana, country and folk music are immediately apparent over the first half of the record, and Mayer blends them seamlessly with his signature style to create an endearing sonic palette. The reflective ‘Shadow Days’ is an early standout, as is the breezy slice of John’s trademark blues-pop found on ‘Something Like Olivia’. A welcome addition to the mix on several songs is the harmonica, which lays the melancholy foundation for the album’s centrepiece title track. ‘Born and Raised’ is one of the best songs of Mayer’s career, confronting his own mortality and the fleeting nature of life itself with magnificent vocal harmonies courtesy of folk rock legends David Crosby and Graham Nash.
After the brilliance of the title track, the back-to-back combo of the overlong ‘If I Ever Get Around to Living’ and downright lazy ‘Love Is a Verb’ threaten to derail the momentum of the record. Thankfully, this proves to be a mere hiccup as the charming tale of ‘Walt Grace’s Submarine Test’ gets things back on track, setting up the strongest third of the album. ‘Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey’ marks the return of the harmonica to great effect, coupled with a storyline instantly relatable to those of us who have ever sought solace at the bottom of a bottle. ‘Whiskey’ is characteristic of the refreshing sincerity and candour present all throughout
Born and Raised. Mayer’s lyrical perspective on these songs predominantly looks inside himself rather than at the world around him, which consequently gives the feeling that he is present in his own music in a way that he never quite has been before. In the past John the songwriter and John the outspoken public figure have seemed almost like two different people, which is simply not the case here. He appears to have successfully broken down the wall that separated his inner Jekyll and Hyde and his music is reaping the benefits. This is made possible by the fact that he is a deceptively talented lyricist, in that he says precisely what he means to without pretence or crypticism while simultaneously avoiding fluff and cliché – not an easy thing to do.
Mayer’s touching lyrics unite with gorgeous female backing vocals to make ‘A Face to Call Home’ a late album highlight topped off by an achingly cathartic guitar solo. It's no secret that John is an extremely capable guitarist, and he plays with such feeling that makes
Born and Raised an utter delight to listen to. His fluent acoustic playing is consistently excellent and the tastefully restrained electric leads and solos absolutely shine. Mayer has also proven himself handy with both harmonica and keys and has combined all of these factors to weave a rich aural tapestry. It would be remiss of me not to also mention Greg Leisz’s contribution with both pedal steel and lap steel. He gives a subtle yet captivating performance that really adds another dimension to several songs. All of these elements are bound together by the familiar smooth rasp of Mayer’s vocals and comfortably warm production that is exceptionally easy on the ears.
While its namesake title track showed the contemplative side of Mayer, ‘Born and Raised (Reprise)’ has him embracing the passage of time in a jovial saloon bar jam as he belts out ‘
born and raised/locks of brown and streaks of grey/I was brought up in brighter days/it’s good to say/now I’m born and raised’. It’s short, sweet and closes out the album in grand style. Make no mistake, Mayer’s fifth studio LP is one of his absolute finest works. It displays a level of maturity and honesty unprecedented among his discography and the newfound Americana aesthetic really suits him. Sure, he’s hardly reinventing the wheel here, but that’s missing the point. Mayer is damn good at what he does – playing the guitar and writing great songs – and he is right back at the top of his game.
