John Mayer – Heavier Things

Artist: John Mayer

Title: Heavier Things

Label: Columbia

Rating: 5/10

Company Line: Aware/Columbia will release Heavier Things, the eagerly awaited second studio album from John Mayer, on September 9. It arrives two years to the month after the release of the critically acclaimed artist’s debut LP, Room for Squares, which has been certified triple-platinum and is still a consistent best-seller (the album remains in the Top 100 after 80 straight weeks on the Billboard Top 200 chart). That memorable bow contained the hit singles “No Such Thing,” “Why Georgia” and “Your Body Is a Wonderland,” the last of which earned Mayer a 2003 Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

The Good:
“New Deep” – One of the rare gems Mayer gives on this record.

The Average:
“Clarity” – Mayer is searching for a hit and he misses it here and comes off sounding a little cheesy with a pop track that isn’t right on.
“Something’s Missing” – Indeed, something is missing. It’s sparse and tries to turn the corner but never completely reaches Room For Squares depth. “Something’s missing/And I don’t know what it is/At all” – really? Boy, that isn’t deep.
“Only Heart” – Hits a melody and never looks back.

The Ugly:
“Come Back To Bed” – This isn’t going to get you out of bed, but it might put you there through sheer boredom.
“Home Life” – Yawn.
“Daughters” – Mayer is really reaching for lyrics; “Girls become lovers who turn into mothers/ so mothers be good to your daughters” What the f*ck is this guy talking about? Do you think mothers and fathers are taking advice from Mayer on how to raise their daughters to be good lovers? This is really appalling. Maybe the guys should have a child and then listen to the lyric and realize how idiot this all sounds.

Frankly: I once read a fan remark that John Mayer is Dave Matthews–lite. Mayer proves that he is trying so hard not to be that while at the same time trying so hard to hold a candle to the Dave Matthews Band. Everyone that has called this guy a genius should really buy a Dave Matthews album and find out who is the genius and who is the pretender.

+ Rae Gun