|
|
 - This album covers musical bases A through Z...I won't say that I credit in full my love for Jason Mraz to American Idol but I must admit that it was that show that introduced me to this guy and ever since I have been smitten with just about everything he's released. Upon hearing the spunky `Geek in the Pink' performed live I was instantly hooked onto Jason's brand of pop/rock and had to search out the original version for myself. Upon hearing it I was convinced that this guy had something special, and this album proves that to be true. Jason Mraz is like a younger John Mayer. I don't mean that in that he is literally `younger', Mayer is quite young himself, but what I mean is that Jason Mraz has a younger sound. They both tackle the pop/rock side of the music industry, but Mraz is less mature than Mayer and thus cultivates a sound all his own. Sure, there are similarities, but he is far from a carbon copy. `Mr. A-Z' opens with `Life is Wonderful' which gives us a subtle glimpse at what Mraz is all about. It's a simple song that couples Mraz with an acoustic guitar and some clever rhymes. `Clockwatching' follows a similar formula, as does the closing `Song for a Friend'. They are good tracks, but they are not Mraz at his strongest. `Please Don't Tell Her' kicks up this side of Mraz a bit and proves to be a splendid example of his strengths. It's soft and gentle yet it's memorable and stylish. The song draws comparisons to Dashboard Confessional and even Yellowcard. `Wordplay' somewhat says it all; Jason Mraz is all about the wordplay. He spits fire amidst a backdrop of well constructed guitars and drumbeats. It's a fun song and brilliantly exposes Mraz's ultimate strengths. Even more fun is the funky hip-hop influenced `Geek in the Pink' mentioned earlier. This is probably one of the most memorable tracks on that album mainly because it sticks out like a green thumb. Mraz's rhymes are slick and his delivery is elegant and graceful. Some of the strongest tracks on `Mr. A-Z' come from a completely different direction though. Just listen to the phenomenally done `Did You Get My Message', a song that is so rich with its old school flare that it becomes one of the most rewarding musical experiences one could wish for. Listen to `Bella Luna' and tell me Jason Mraz is not the real deal. The guitars are so inviting, the mood so graceful and enchanting. The track is such a beautiful departure from what one might expect to receive from Jason that you are spellbound by its uniqueness. Then there is `Plane' which is probably my favorite track here. It's such a melancholy track yet masterfully constructed and executed to the point that one can't help but become entranced. Mraz's voice truly shines here. It was one of the points on the album where I realized he has an outstanding voice. `Mr. Curiosity' sounds like a Beatles song to me. It's decent but a tad on the corny side. `Forecast' resembles Ben Folds Five to me. It's decent but nothing truly memorable. `O. Lover' is the complete opposite. It actually proves to be one of my favorite tracks on the album, a song that gives Mraz a chance to slide effortlessly in the mode of confident chick-magnet. The beat is infectious and Mraz's vocals are silky smooth. Sure, `Mr. A-Z' is not perfect. It could use some fine-tuning, but there is no denying that this young talent has the chops to carry him the distance. He's only going to grow, I can feel it, and with this extensive a musical repertoire I see some grand things in his future. Rating:  - alex Mr. A-Z is not a bad. The album has a mixture of guitars, pianos, Mr Mraz is good at expressing himself on the guitar and his voice. Rating:  - pretty goodnot as great as last but good~liked the tongue twisters in last album better! this is more ballads but OK Rating:  - Sophomore disappointmentI see there are a lot of huge Mraz fans out there. I am still too but am I the only one who thought the first album rocked me out but this second one knocked me out (zzzzz)? The first CD was one of those rare "front to back" CDs where pretty much every song was awesome. Sure this second one has its diamonds in the rough (like Wordplay, Geek in Pink, & Did You Get my Message) but everything else?? Advice? Buy the first album & download the above songs. You won't be disappointed. Because this sophomore album made me want to "Sleep All Day..." Rating: - very jason...it is definitely a jason mraz albums. he pulls off the slow melancholy song as he has done before, and just like the remedy, geek in the pink and wordplay are two great upbeat songs with awesome lyrics
|
