John Mayer – Sob Rock - 2021 Blues Pop Rock - Black Vinyl - Sealed 180 Grm LP

B5 All I Want Is To Be With You

 

 

 

''On Mayer’s eighth album, ‘Sob Rock’, his first since 2017’s ‘The Search For Everything’, the nimble-fingered rocker’s inclination to buck conformity takes centre stage once more. Opting to throw it back to the ‘70s and ‘80s, instead of chasing today’s sonic trends, Mayer puts breakup music in a retro spin cycle, channelling yacht rock heroes such as Hall & Oates, Foreigner and Michael McDonald. Album opener ‘Last Train Home’ plays like a companion piece to Toto’s ‘Africa’, with its heavy kick drum and intoxicating synth stabs conjuring up visions of ‘80s Tom Cruise movies; it provides the perfect soundtrack to sip tequila to while nursing post-breakup blues. While ‘Wild Blue’ sees Mayer pick up where the rhythm section of Dire Straits’ ‘Sultans Of Swing’ left off, as he insists: “I found myself when I lost you.”

 

Not held hostage by one particular genre, ‘Sob Rock’ provides a mixed bag of sounds – sometimes even on the same track. Mayer blends art rock and bluegrass on ’Til The Right One Comes’ and dreamy, new wave pop and blue-eyed soul on ‘Carry Me Away’, while ‘All I Want Is To Be With You’ is a country and western swansong steeped in full-hearted, romantic longing. But Mayer shines brightest when he dips into his signature pop rock bag and pulls out a masterstroke like ‘New Light’. The one-sided love song’s concise and witty lyrics (“Pushing 40 in the friend zone”), which he delivers on bended knee, pairs perfectly with its spring-loaded backdrop and feel-good zest.'' (NME)