Mayer proves he's no longer 'Square'

Though not as groundbreaking as his first album, Room for Squares, John Mayer's Heavier Things is a solid second major label release, despite its brevity, with considerable personal growth and experimentation evident. \nMayer's switch from acoustic to electric guitar on all 10 tracks, along with the light use of horns, whispers of piano and interesting percussion, works well. The electric guitar is not overwhelming or even blatantly evident. It's light, almost like he's finger-picking an acoustic guitar, providing for an interesting and effective approach. The album picks up momentum in the beginning with the laidback "Clarity" and the first addictive single "Bigger Than My Body." With an almost lulling effect, Heavier Things is an excellent album to listen to in its entirety.\nThough he experiments musically, it is lyrically where Mayer shines. He writes poignantly, in every-man's language; he's deep but accessible. In this album, Mayer is indeed brooding on the "heavier things." He is searching for personal purpose beyond music, struggling to achieve self-actualization, not so much new love or the reasons "why" from Georgia. Even in the more romantic tracks, Mayer cuts deeper to a more universal, karma-ish level, such as in "The Wheel," where he repeats "I believe my life's gonna see the love I give returned to me." \nThis album, however, is not as newcomer-fresh or radio-friendly as Room for Squares. There's really no "Your Body is a Wonderland." \nThere are times when I wished for something more. I wanted him to break out with something more surprising in "Daughters" or curb his melodic wandering in "Split Screen Sadness." "Only Heart," a hybrid of Matchbox Twenty and Phil Collins, is cookie-cutter Top 40, a shape that Mayer normally does not press his songs into. \nMayer's effort in shaping the album's direction is evident. He even directed the art design, an innovative album booklet that includes charts depicting the song's effects on the mind and different parts of the body. However, it's strange that this album, two years after the release of Room for Squares, contains only 10 new songs and is less then 50 minutes long. \nOverall, Heavier Things holds considerable artistic weight. The thought-provoking tracks mesh well together with Mayer's low-key vibe and throated whisper of a voice. Mayer has grown musically and didn't stick with the formula he knew sold. In the songwriting tradition of James Taylor, John Mayer is building his longevity. In 20 years, he'll probably still be making albums, growing as an artist and continuing to contemplate the heavy things of life.