Already affectionately known by Mayer diehards as ‘the fish tank song’ due to a preview shared on his Instagram page, it embodies the vibe Mayer is going for most effectively and unapologetically through its infectious vocal harmonies and the stunning fluidity of its ending solo. Things truly pick up in the album’s second act, beginning with “Wild Blue”. It would be disastrous from the ground up in the hands of a lesser songwriter, but Mayer’s tastefulness and lyrical lead lines propel it toward a wonderful conclusion that culminates in a fantastic vocal feature by Maren Morris. What makes the record work is its self-awareness opener and single “Last Train Home” leans so fully into the ‘80s pastiche that’s all over this tracklist that I find it admirable. The word I keep gravitating toward to describe “Sob Rock” is ‘fun’, even through its narration of some occasionally heavy subject matter. Here’s the important question to answer will the listener have nearly as much of a blast of Mayer himself? For the most part, yes. This is John Mayer in 2021, thankful to have made it through the last year in one piece, and trying his damndest to have a blast making music. It’s 38 minutes of nostalgic camp that bears witness to no major artistic growing pains, and doesn’t attempt to make any statement, other than to say “come on in and enjoy the show”.
Despite its similarly slick production and guitar tone, “Sob Rock” is the flip side of this coin and sees Mayer creating for nothing but the sheer joy of creation itself. Since 2009’s “Battle Studies”, Mayer’s songwriting has taken an admirable turn toward the vulnerable side of his personality, with his 2017 release “The Search for Everything” functioning as a serious examination of everything from his childhood wounds to the harrowing possibility of a loveless future. John Mayer doesn’t seem to be struggling with this mental block, having noticeably chilled out in recent years, filling his touring schedule with Grateful Dead dates while dropping some of the most reliably infectious pop rock of the new millennium every 3 years or so. By the time an impressive and eclectic body of work has been compiled, I’d imagine it’s easy for a feeling of dread to slowly creep into the corners of an artist’s mind, steadily filling with the floodwaters of both real and imagined audience expectations.
Review Summary: Sob Rock is 2021 rock (for better or worse)Īt what point has an artist said everything they need to say? You’d be hard pressed to point to any performer’s eighth studio album as their peak.
0 kommentar(er)
