John Mayer
"Heavier Things"
Sony Records
Grade: B
Bottom Line:
A little more mature, a little "heavier" but there is still plenty of room for all you John Mayer squares.When I first heard John Mayer was coming out with a new CD I was a bit skeptical. Mayer's 2001 success, "Room For Squares," made him a household name and it is a frequent occurrence that when artists have one big success, their next album does not measure up. However, when I first listened to "Heavier Things," I was pleasantly surprised.

It took some work for Mayer to get noticed at first. In 1991, he released a small label album called "Inside Wants Out." It consisted mostly of solo, acoustic songs. While the press seemed to notice him, America still had not discovered John Mayer. In 2000, he signed with Columbia Records and released "Room For Squares," his first studio album. "Room for Squares" was a big success and went triple platinum, making Mayer a well-known artist.

Mayer is known for his soft or folk rock style with simple lyrics about real life issues. At first I thought to myself "how could John Mayer possibly have more to say?" Many of the songs on his last album concerned women and life issues. I was expecting a similar sound and not much change in his style, but was instantly surprised by the first song. It did not open with the typical guitar riff but with drums and horns. While Mayer has been backed up by a band before, he seems to have expanded his horizons. Mayer always seemed so much older than he was and was definitely mellow. In "Heavier Things" he has pepped things up a little, at least in the beginning of the album.

The album's single, "Bigger Than My Body," is a good example of this. There is more of a pop sound to it, although the old Mayer sound is still there. It is slightly reminiscent of his "Room for Squares" single "No Such Thing." But unlike "No Such Thing," "Bigger Than My Body" has more of a head-bopping beat to it.

There are some other songs on the album that sound very similar to songs on "Room For Squares." For example, "Come Back to Bed" has the same very mellow feel that Mayer's songs on "Squares" have.

One disappointment of "Heavier Things" is the low number of songs on the album. While quantity does not always mean quality, the album itself is very short and is slightly disappointing since "Squares" was noticeably longer.

While not a work of genius, it definitely shows that Mayer has grown musically between his past two albums. I was impressed because Mayer gave me the impression that he had just about reached his artistic limit. I was not expecting much growth or change from his last album. He has taken the time to experiment a little and change his style, too. While the second half of the album sounds familiar and similar to his old style, it is nice to see that he had the conviction to change a little.

Overall, "Heavier Things" is a strong third album from John Mayer. It shows he can change a little while still remaining true to his style. It also shows he can change for the better since one of the songs that is evidence of his musical growth "Bigger Than My Body," is becoming a hit single.