Mraz can't write a lyric, but he sure can write a pop hook. This is an expertly crafted collection of pop songs, but the main draw for someone like me is the retro-production that attempts to capture the '70s and '80s. Some examples: the song Butterfly tries hard to be Quincy Jones-era Michael Jackson while Love For A Child wouldn't have been out of place on a mid-'70s Elton John album. Overall, though, the sound/feel of the album reminds me more of Hall & Oates than anyone else. Metacritic has this album rated at 60 and I'm okay with that - a few great songs, some good ones, and some filler. Mraz has a enjoyable tenor voice and doesn't need to use AutoTune - just don't listen to the ignorant nonsense he's singing about.
The album garnered two Grammy awards for Mraz: Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for Make It Mine and Best Pop Collaboration (with Colbie Caillat) for Lucky.
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #3
Tracks: The album is front-loaded with the aforementioned Make It Mine and Lucky as well as the ubiquitous I'm Yours. But the album starts to unravel about track 7 (with the exception of Only Human which is the best Remy Shand song he never wrote).
The disc is an "Enhanced CD" with promises of online extras. Not surprisingly, that content is no longer available (I got a "404 error" whatever that is).
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.
Previously revisited for the blog:
Waiting For My Rocket To Come (2002)
Sample lyric: bippity bopppity boo
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