- First Impression
Like I have said in my reviews before, I am honest and to the point. Unfortunately Jason falls prey to that as I focus in on first impressions. It’s Monday, four days since I’ve listened to anything on the radio other than Funk Friday. My sister-in-law asks me if I have heard “that song on the radio”. That’s song?, please explain. (Always happens) Well it’s the one that goes like this. Duh duh, doo, duh……you know! Anyways, after about 20 minutes of guessing everything under the sun, she says, “Mars!” I return with a scientific display of planetary knowledge that would make my mothers head spin as my 1st place ribbon of yore is gleefully shining on my chest. “No, Doofus!, Mraz”. After a week she calls me with the name and the song title that fits into my memory next to the grocery list and the latest publication of Playboy. Wouldn’t you know it? As I journey to the store I hear the song. “The Remedy”. I will say it here because the thought rings in my head very loud. Jamiroquai? Yes. That was what I thought. Lyrical styling like Jamiroquai over bumped up acoustic zip and annoying noises that are only heard on AOL commercials. But hey, its only one song.
The Download
Fire up the much hated P2P again, yes? My mind says in a Yoda like voice. So I do. I download the song and listen closer this time in order to get the full gist of the tune. As it starts, I repeat to myself over and over, “You’ve got mail!”. But when the lyrics drop in and the beat begins to pulse behind it, I find myself shaking one butt cheek in my chair. Honestly, it’s not bad at all. I still hear the Jamiroquai stylings in the pseudo-spoken delivery of the words. That’s not necessarily a bad thing either. But I am hoping the whole album isn’t a big mockup of rehashed and already discovered approaches to the style. Yeah, the delete button claims another mp3.
The Purchase? Not this time: The Barrow.
So I call the sis-in-law and ask to borrow the CD. She delivers and tells me, “Track 7, I’m telling you.” So track 7 it is. “ Too Much Food” Yeah, I thought the same thing. So I listen to the same formula and musical push as “The Remedy”, I kept thinking, ‘Damn, I hate when this happens.’ If you play the song, you can sing “The Remedy” over it. Not good. Let’s move on to a random track pick. Track 10, “No Stopping Us”. Ugh, I’m tired already.
Honest Dissection:
Well, as far as musical ability, I’ll state this once, these people can play their instruments very well. That’s not the issue that I have with this one. My problem is that I hear a little bit too much of the same thing as I listen to the album. The lyrics are mature, direct and remain playful as the songs run through but the melodies repeat themselves over and over. No fun to the listener. There is a smoky room filled, Carley Simon bunch, who can appreciate the soft jazzy moods, closed hi-hat hits, and a brushed snare that carries Track 11, “The Boy’s Gone” into a reason to listen to Jason Mraz. Very impressive delivery of style and charisma are what to listen for. But I am afraid that the shots in the dark are too much for me to own this one.
My Final V:
Here we have an issue that plagues the music industry today. A CD that relies on one song to sell it. “The Remedy” will find it’s way onto compilation CD’s in the future and ‘mp3z’ folders across the nation, but does it make a CD sellable to the listeners? I do enjoy a few songs from the CD, but wouldn’t find myself wanting to hear them on a regular basis. I could stand hearing them on the radio in a random moment as I drive and need something to sing with but wouldn’t carry my cash to the counter for them. I think Jason Mraz Is a talented musician and writer, but I feel that production and writing may have been hurried on this one. Just a little. I do hope I am wrong. In a few years and after some apt direction, maybe Jason will introduce a different feeling in his music. And maybe, just maybe, I will be able to jump for joy as he sails to the top on a masterpiece of a CD. As for now though, we’ll just have to settle for a dingy.