Jason Mraz is a two-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, best known perhaps for his 2008 hit single "I'm Yours." I've always been a fan of Mraz; I remember first hearing "Geek in the Pink" in middle school, and admiring the beautiful writing of "I Won't Give Up" when I was a senior in high school. Out of all of the male artists out there, Mraz continues to produce well-written, well-sung, catchy music.
He is a coffeehouse artist through and through, however on Yes! Mraz leans closer to country than ever before, due to a few stylistic choices and several odes to nature (perhaps his Virginia roots are finally coming through). The songs are all guitar-heavy and softly strummed, and in the typical Mraz style, make it impossible for you not to sway along. The album's soft, laid-back tone produces a natural versatility; these songs are appropriate for rainy days when all you want to do is lay on your couch and drink hot tea, while at the same time appropriate for driving in your car on a sunny, summer afternoon. Additionally, while Yes! exudes the laziness and tranquility of summer, there are hints of a crisp, autumnal wind that underlies the entire production.
Yes! is very much what you would expect from Mraz: feel-good songs and several romantic ballads doused in a quiet melancholy. There are no surprises here. But still Mraz delivers a solid fifth album with several wonderfully breezy highlights, including "Love Someone," "3 Things" and "Long Drive." "Long Drive" could have easily been taken from a Lady Antebellum album, while the album's best song, "Hello, You Beautiful Thing" could have been written for Jack Johnson. "Hello, You Beautiful Thing" truly is a beautiful thing; the beat is infectious, the lyrics are clever, and Mraz's voice has never sounded better.
Of course, there are several tracks that come across as recycled material. "Best Friend," "Quiet" and "Out of Your Hands" are forgettable fillers. These songs have moments of beauty, and they aren't by any stretch of the imagination mediocre. They just don't achieve the same level of musical brilliance as Mraz's best, and thus get lost in the mix.
While Mraz may get bogged down by forced metaphors and coffeehouse cliches, his fifth album is still a must-listen. His talent still astounds, despite the repetitiveness of some of his songs, and he only seems to be getting better. "Long Drive" indicates that Mraz could certainly transition into country music, and "Hello, You Beautiful Thing" indicates he hasn't lost his magic touch of making an irresistible love song. Yes! may not be a masterpiece, but it is a sign of better things to come.
3.5/5
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