John Mayer made his first release on Friday since his album “Paradise Valley” in 2013. His new album, “The Search for Everything,” is being released in waves rather than all at once.
The first wave has four tracks that he said, “represent literally hundreds of hours of living inside these little worlds.”
While not without its blemishes, “The Search for Everything Wave One” is a strong release that should keep fans yearning for the next release.
Since there are only four tracks, this review will focus on each of them individually.
Track one: “Moving On and Getting Over”
A hopeful glance to the future, “Moving On and Getting Over” embodies much of what Mayer fans enjoy about his music.
Reflecting on the difficulty of getting over a breakup, Mayer employs a warm bass and harmonic layering to create an aspirational mood that’s optimistic of the days ahead.
The song has a straightforward groove that’s only interrupted when he wants to emphasize the lyrics. When this happens, the drumming drops out and the bass rhythmically punches every word, helping to demonstrate his constant return to thinking about his ex.
The tune is a great start to Mayer’s return.
Track two: “Changing”
From the first few bars, Mayer holds onto the folk-inspired traits of his later work, but that doesn’t mean he’s forgotten his past.
“Changing” acts, in part, as a ballad to some of his more recent musical developments, incorporating a piano and slide guitar intro that evolves into one of his famed blues-rock guitar solos.
The line “I may be old and I may be young” highlights this theme, showing how Mayer tries to hold onto what has made him great while also branching beyond.
Track three: “Love on the Weekend”
This is one where you can just hit the skip button. A rather uninspiring pop-influenced love song, “Love on the Weekend” is the album’s definitive low point.
The song is simple in just about every aspect, and not in the good way. If it feels familiar to you, it’s probably because you’ve heard something similar.
The vocal rhythm matches that of many mainstream country pop songs, and while the chorus is a little catchy the rest of the song is mostly forgettable. If you’re making a Spotify playlist called “Passive Background Music,” go ahead and add this track.
Don’t stop listening, though, because the album’s finale is a treat.
Track four: “You’re Gonna Live Forever in Me”
The final track, “You’re Gonna Live Forever in Me,” is the lyrical redemption this album needed. Mayer tugs on the heartstrings in this track, which is one of his more emotional works to date.
A touching tale of love lost, he again reflects on what it means to be happy in spite of life’s misfortunes. His use of whistling and orchestral strings help to portray a tone that recognizes failure while acknowledging the potential the future holds.
Thematically, it’s a more sensitive take on topics he touches upon in “Moving On and Getting Over,” but through a different-colored lens.
Although the song begins with an allusion to the death of the dinosaurs, Mayer manages to take an honest approach toward recognizing that a sad ending isn’t always the end of the world.
