It was only a few days ago on the Vault’s staff
e-mail list that Jason Warburg casually praised the John Mayer
Trio. Being the impressionable youth that I am, and having listened
to practically nothing but Elton John for two months now, I was
ready to give Mayer the ol’ college try.
Truth be told, John Mayer and I were not tight for a
while. I’d see him on TV and the man seemed genuinely funny. You
tell me what other musician would dress up as a bear and visit with
his fans before a show. However when it came to his music, the
amusement faded away. None of his big songs such as “Your Body Is A
Wonderland” grabbed my attention, and so Mayer to me was just a
funny guy whose humor far outstripped his talent. I was wrong.
Something about Try! implies that the casual
Mayer fan wouldn’t enjoy it. This is not an album comprised of
soft, pretty, pop songs comparing your girlfriend to Universal
Studios. This is a blues musician coming out to party, and it’s
done in the way God intended — a power trio.
Obviously, Mayer is the person who would be most
responsible for this album’s success, but praise must given to his
industry veteran bandmates Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino. The
grooves the two get going are really something to hear. More often
than not their playing isn’t flashy, but it’s constant and intense,
simmering below Mayer’s lead guitar.
But, as I just said, Try! succeeds because of
Mayer. What struck me first was how good of a guitarist the man is.
Throughout the album he unleashes a devastating array of hooks and
riffs that would impress anybody, especially those (like me) who
thought the man lacked chops. By the time Mayer’s done tearing
through the solo on the trio’s cover of Hendrix’s “Wait Until
Tomorrow,” there should be no doubters.
Mayer’s solos are impressive, but the most striking
aspect of his play is in the subtleties. His work on “Out Of My
Mind” is classic blues, with short, sweet licks popping up here and
there, as Jordan and Palladino keep a steady, almost lethargic
beat. The fact that Mayer can switch back and forth between
balls-to-the-wall soloing and restraint further highlights how good
he is.
The only true weakness I can find in Try! are
Mayer’s vocals. For the most part, they are effective, especially
on his own material. However, there are times when it sounds like
Mayer is reaching, such as the refrain of “I’ve Got A Woman.”
Still, when keeping in his range and not sounding too much like
Dave Matthews (which is less frequent than I expected), Mayer is
best.
I can finally now say that John Mayer’s humor matches
his musical skills. If you aren’t his biggest fan, just give this
disc a try, and see if you don’t gain some respect for the man.
Now, here’s hoping he follows this approach on the next studio
album.
