Jason Mraz is a multidimensional talent. I say 'multi-dimensional' because he takes sounds from past decades and throws them together and it's....well, amazing. And it could easily sound like ugly soup but it doesn't. It sounds like it all belongs together, all smooth and delicious. Mr. Mraz is a clever lyricist, has a voice that could charm your pants off [dangerous] and can blast off the hip groove no matter if he is channeling a rap artist, Stevie Wonder or the duo Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire. All of which he does, by the way , on his 2008 lp 'We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.'
The man lives in San Diego but he is SO Maui. He's a raw foodist for God's sake! and loves to swing on ropes and jump into waterfall pools. He is into humanitarianism and is an activist. He likes to sit in the back of open truck beds. He doesn't cut or comb his hair much. He just looks like a Mauian. The video for 'I'm Yours' actually looks like Maui. Is it?? Check it out. I have swung on ropes and jumped into waterfalls like that at Swinging Bridges, Maui.....so verify if you can. Anyway, before I get derailed further...
Here's a detailed review of the album. (Mraz' fourth album, Peace Canoe, has yet to hit the airwaves as of September 2010.).
The first song has a sax in it which is a recurring instrument on this album. It's different, unexpected and gives the whole album a jazzy feel.
"I'm Yours" is my favorite on the disk and apparently everyone else's too as it is currently the sixth best selling digital song of all time in the U.S., selling in excess of 5 million downloads. My favorite line is when he sings, "Skooch down closer to me dear, and I will nibble your ear." This song is the outstanding one because his voice and this song belong together. Forever. It's the kind of thing that would be hard to cover because there's something about THAT voice and THIS song that are just a perfect match.
The third song on the lp, "Lucky" finds Colbie Caillat and Jason Mraz channeling Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Yoko Ono would call it a bit of a "put on" in that it's saucy-sexy in a cheesecake 1930's kind of way. The line, " They don't know how long it takes, waiting for a love like this," inserts some teenage angst into the song as the lovers bolt off to (??) MAui? It's an island where he puts a flower behind her ear and then [I am sure] do a whole lot of something else. It ends on a classic jazz exit note.
Mraz again throws the listener off (which I love) when you hear him channeling a bit of the Gloved One (RIP) in "Butterfly." I love the fact that I was just in the 1930's, now I'm hearing disco, now I'm in the 80's, now I'm in the 90's...I feel like I'm in Marty McFly's DeLorean DMC-12. He really pulls in all these grooves and makes it work in this sultry number. Why? Because he's hot, of course. Then the lines, "I'm your pole and all you're wearing is your shoes. You make my slacks a little tight. You may unfasten them if you like," firmly plant your feet right here in the direct, the bold and the unfrilly 21st century.
"Love for a Child" combines lyrics and melody to make a compelling confession of growing up in a dysfunctional family. (Sounds familiar...) The song is a lamentation of lost youth. Again, the sax and soul sister back-up singers harken you back to previous decades. If a heart could spill its guts, this song would come tumbling out.
"Details in the Fabric" is a melancholic song that might mark the end of a friendship. Jason collaborates with James Morrison in this one, a British singer/guitarist famous in just about every country except for the U.S.A. Morrison has made a splash around the world with his two albums, "Undiscovered" (which describes his state on American soil only or so it seems) and "Songs for You, Truths for Me." The most memorable line in this moody number is when Morrison mumbles, "You're an island of reality in a sea of diarrhea" which , I imagine, is Morrison's idea as he is a huge Beck fan. Morrison apparently leaves this message on Mraz' answering machine. This song is weird which is, of course, precisely why I like it.
"Only Human" showcases Mraz' rapping ability woven within a jazz groove framework. I dig the Stevie Wonder influenced chorus.
"The Dynamo of Volition" is the crown jewel of his rapping ability. My kids even like the lyrics on this one and yell them out in the car.(they're ages 4 and 8.)
"If it Kills Me" is an adorable tune about unrequieted love. It sounds as though the singer has unwittingly fallen in love with his manager or something. Who knows. It's just a well-done song that most of us can relate to at some time or another in life .There is something Beatlesque (their later years) in the piano arrangements and the violins that make random appearances in this beautifully constructed song.
The last song on the album, "A Beautiful Mess" again shows Jason's eclectic abilities as it harkens Sarah McLaughlin. Again, the far-reaching scope of Jason's songwriting ability is impressive. The man can really texturize a song and make it a rich tapestry of melodies and styles.
In short, Mraz has got the frosting to top our musical cakes. And we're waiting for the next one to pop out of the oven. In between his yoga sessions, of course. If the man isn't from Maui in physical form, then his ethereal body surely lives there. Doing the Pine Tree Pose or Downward Dog right about now. Meanwhile, we'll just wait for that oven timer to ring.
