Saturday 26 July 2008

Review - Jason Mraz - We Sing, We Dance. We Steal Things

Jason Mraz - We Sing, We Dance. We Steal Things

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5 out of 10

Mraz is brilliant, because he's so painfully middle of the road that he just can't fail. He's no James Blunt thankfully, and you can see he's tried a little bit. I mean the occasional jazz section bits and electronica are a little outside the box but it's almost an afterthought, like a mish mash of Jamie Liddell and Amy Winehouse. Throw in a little bit of acoustic wondering like Jack Johnson on 'I'm Yours' and you're getting close to like the ultimate solo singer songwriters wet dream of success.

He's like Paulo Nutini, throwaway and instantly forgettable but absolutely perfect for the mainstream. As if for the ultimate irony Mraz who's a bit of a James Morrison (Remember him?) in his own right, actually gets the man himself to guest on one of the tracks, 'Details In the Fabric'. Expect future albums to see feat Jason Mraz in the small print.

It may sound a little harsh because Mraz is relatively inoffensive, although the saccharine sweetness of duet track 'Lucky' is enough to get tooth decay from, it's just my cynical side coming out against artists who are ten a penny. It's worth mentioning that if you're a fan of pretty much anyone mentioned then Jason will probably appeal to you.

For me though, it drags on terribly, after six tracks I'm struggling to remember individual tracks bar 'Butterfly' which has a grand appeal to it, but the rest of the whimsical strumming dissolves a little too much into the endless sea of similar artists. The worst point here however is that there is another six tracks left. Not for me, but for the sort of people who think that Coldplay's latest is a groundbreaking and revolution turn for the band.

Listen: www.myspace.com/jasonmraz

Tracklist:
1. Make It Mine
2. I'm Yours
3. Lucky
4. Butterfly
5. Live High
6. Love For A Child
7. Details In The Fabric
8. Coyotes
9. Only Human
10. The Dynamo of Volition
11. If It Kills Me
12. A Beautiful Mess

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