John Mayer’s Continuum is a remarkably listenable album of blues-tinged rock – a marked departure from Mayer’s previous soft rock styling with enough nods to his previous records so as not to feel like too radical a departure. I dig it.
That being said, there’s not a lot more to say about the reissue of the record, save that it amounts to little more than a fishing expedition by Sony BMG for more of your precious dollars and cents.
The reissue gives us Mayer’s latest single “Say” tacked on to the end of the album and if you already own Continuum, there is absolutely no reason to buy the entire thing all over again. A quick trip to iTunes and 99 cents will solve your “Say” deficiency if you so choose.
Recorded for the Rob Reiner film, The Bucket List, “Say” begins well enough, with an appealing acoustic guitar line, but it quickly devolves into bland AC pop – very unlike the rest of the album. It’s not a good representation of Mayer’s talent on Continuum or (hopefully) the new direction he seems to be taking as an artist.
I’m not too worried. I didn’t see The Bucket List, but from the looks of it, it’s more or less a generic trip down Sappy Drama Lane, and “Say” certainly fits more within that realm than it does the career of Mayer.
Mayer is a gifted songwriter and guitarist, and with reports that he plans to record another album with his blues group John Mayer Trio, I have high hopes for what’s coming next. The occasional soundtrack contribution or radio friendly single is not going to throw Mayer’s career off track, and frankly, he’s pretty good at cranking that kind of stuff out, even if it doesn’t quite merit the artistic value as his other work.
The Continuum reissue may be an entirely disposable release, but that’s business, I guess. Mayer’s got more of the goods coming soon enough anyway, I suspect.
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