{"id":39757,"date":"2006-05-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2006-05-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/try\/"},"modified":"2006-05-16T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2006-05-16T00:00:00","slug":"try","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/try\/","title":{"rendered":"Try!"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

It was only a few days ago on the Vault’s staff
\ne-mail list that Jason Warburg casually praised the John Mayer
\nTrio. Being the impressionable youth that I am, and having listened
\nto practically nothing but Elton John for two months now, I was
\nready to give Mayer the ol’ college try.<\/p>\n

Truth be told, John Mayer and I were not tight for a
\nwhile. I’d see him on TV and the man seemed genuinely funny. You
\ntell me what other musician would dress up as a bear and visit with
\nhis fans before a show. However when it came to his music, the
\namusement faded away. None of his big songs such as “Your Body Is A
\nWonderland” grabbed my attention, and so Mayer to me was just a
\nfunny guy whose humor far outstripped his talent. I was wrong.<\/p>\n

Something about Try!<\/i> implies that the casual
\nMayer fan wouldn’t enjoy it. This is not an album comprised of
\nsoft, pretty, pop songs comparing your girlfriend to Universal
\nStudios. This is a blues musician coming out to party, and it’s
\ndone in the way God intended — a power trio.<\/p>\n

Obviously, Mayer is the person who would be most
\nresponsible for this album’s success, but praise must given to his
\nindustry veteran bandmates Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino. The
\ngrooves the two get going are really something to hear. More often
\nthan not their playing isn’t flashy, but it’s constant and intense,
\nsimmering below Mayer’s lead guitar.<\/p>\n

But, as I just said, Try!<\/i> succeeds because of
\nMayer. What struck me first was how good of a guitarist the man is.
\nThroughout the album he unleashes a devastating array of hooks and
\nriffs that would impress anybody, especially those (like me) who
\nthought the man lacked chops. By the time Mayer’s done tearing
\nthrough the solo on the trio’s cover of Hendrix’s “Wait Until
\nTomorrow,” there should be no doubters.<\/p>\n

Mayer’s solos are impressive, but the most striking
\naspect of his play is in the subtleties. His work on “Out Of My
\nMind” is classic blues, with short, sweet licks popping up here and
\nthere, as Jordan and Palladino keep a steady, almost lethargic
\nbeat. The fact that Mayer can switch back and forth between
\nballs-to-the-wall soloing and restraint further highlights how good
\nhe is.<\/p>\n

The only true weakness I can find in Try!<\/i> are
\nMayer’s vocals. For the most part, they are effective, especially
\non his own material. However, there are times when it sounds like
\nMayer is reaching, such as the refrain of “I’ve Got A Woman.”
\nStill, when keeping in his range and not sounding too much like
\nDave Matthews (which is less frequent than I expected), Mayer is
\nbest.<\/p>\n

I can finally now say that John Mayer’s humor matches
\nhis musical skills. If you aren’t his biggest fan, just give this
\ndisc a try, and see if you don’t gain some respect for the man.
\nNow, here’s hoping he follows this approach on the next studio
\nalbum.<\/p>\n

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