Paradise Valley

John Mayer

Columbia, 2013

http://www.johnmayer.com

REVIEW BY: Benjamin Ray

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 01/01/2014

Coming hot on the heels of 2012's Born And Raised, John Mayer's new disc is a companion piece to that one, mining a similar country/folk-inspired sound and lyrics that are self-exploratory but not obnoxious.

The album is named after a place in Montana where Mayer spends his free time, and the music here is similarly expansive and a little lonely, sounding much like a folk artist sitting on his front porch with a guitar and his thoughts. Some modern influence creeps in with guest appearances from Frank Ocean and girlfriend Katy Perry, but much of this harkens back to a simpler time and a man's honest look at his life.

I praised Born And Raised because it was a different John Mayer than the troubled frat boy that most people had known from 2003 through 2010. On that disc, he seemed apologetic for his words and actions and took the time to retreat, take stock and start fresh, reaching back to old-time country and folk for inspiration instead of blues and pop to share his thoughts. Paradise Valley is along the same lines and even more personal but more accessible. The expansive songwriting allows the listener to feel like they are on the porch with Mayer.

These are not songs that would translate well to the concert stage, as that would rob them of their emotion, whether they are directly about Mayer or character(s) he created. "Dear Marie," for example, finds the narrator recalling an old friend he lost touch with once he became famous, and noting that while he is in magazines and achieved "the dream," she is the one who got the family. "Waitin' On The Day" is a simple request for a home and family and, perhaps, forgiveness: "Waiting on the day / When that voice comes to say / That it's not wrong what you did / For just a kid." Make no mistake, Mayer knows he screwed up...but sometimes, it's nice to have support rather than be endlessly excoriated by critics.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

"Who You Love" is a nice duet with a restrained Perry, the end result sounding more like a lovers' discussion than a pop song: "My girl, she ain't the one that I saw coming / And sometimes I don't know which way to go / And I've tried to run before / But I'm not running anymore." This and some of the other songs are a mixture of experience and newfound innocence, such as the old-timey country of "You're No One 'Til Someone Lets You Down" and the blues-folk of "I Will Be Found (Lost At Sea)," wherein Mayer makes a line like "I'm a little birdie in a big ol' tree / Ain't nobody looking for me here out on the highway" and make it sound universal, not corny. (The remaining song, a brief piece also called "Wildfire" written with Frank Ocean, is regretfully underdeveloped). 

Those who know Mayer from his more pop days will find almost nothing that resembles, say, "No Such Thing," while fans of the blues days will find some of that influence here, such as "I Will Be Found," the compelling wanderlust of "Badge And Gun" and the anemic cover of "Call Me The Breeze." That last song, incidentally, is still far better than the dreadful take on "Crossroads" from Battle Studies, just as the duet with Perry is much better than the Taylor Swift duet "Half Of My Heart" from that same album.

Which brings up the only sour note of Paradise Valley, "Paper Doll," a veiled, semi-snarky attack on Swift (Mayer's ex) that references her song "22" (as in the line "You're like 22 girls in one / And none of them know what they're running from / Was it just too far to fall / For a little paper doll?" The song could have been far worse coming from the Mayer of Battle Studies or even Room For Squares, but it's a bit out of place with the rest of the album and suggests that the man still has a little growing up to do.

But, as the rest of the album bears out, Mayer is fully aware of that, and this album continues his newfound foray into country, folk and honest soul-searching of that type that most people can relate to at some point. It is not as obvious or catchy as previous Mayer albums, and lacks a killer song to hang everything on, but Paradise Valley is easily Mayer's best work since Continuum and slowly unfolds its rewards over time, much like the vast, rich expanse of land that inspired it.

Rating: B

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