| He has a voice with hints of Jeff Buckley, a range of musical styles like Beck and the young charm of John Mayer. It looks like the future is bright for Jason Mraz. On his debut album, Waiting For My Rocket To Come, Mraz displays his versatility as both a performer and a songwriter while featuring all of the qualities listed above.
Mraz, a native of Mechanicsville, Virginia, is used to building a fan base the old fashioned way, by performing in small intimate venues and connecting with his audience. But now, he is faced with the task of reaching a national audience and connecting with larger groups of people. One listen to Waiting For My Rocket To Come and you will see that this shouldn't be a problem for him.
The album makes an immediate statement by starting with one of its strongest tracks, "You and I Both." This song, about letting love go and looking back on the good aspects of the relationship, features the great lines, "and it's okay if you have go away/just remember the telephone works both ways/and if I never ever hear it ring/if nothing else I'll think the bells inside/have finally found you someone else..."
Another standout track on Waiting For My Rocket To Come is "Absolutely Zero." This quiet song laments the potential fallout of a broken friendship after two friends spend a night together. What makes the song unique is the almost conversation-like approach to the lyrics. The listener becomes a fly on the wall as the two people try to work through the difficult situation.
A completely different side of Mraz is displayed on "Curbside Prophet." This track, featuring almost spoken hip-hop phrasing and a banjo, shows that Mraz is definitely not a one dimensional artist. It seems that each song on this album features a different side of the artist and shows that he is adept with many different musical styles.
The ultimate irony of the album is that while it acts as a great showcase for Mraz's range and talent, it is this broad musical range that keeps it from being a fully-realized uniform piece. While the individual songs on the album are all excellent, they just don't come together to form a singular statement for the artist. That being said, Waiting For My Rocket To Come is still a great debut for Mraz and should help to create the larger audience that an artist of his talent deserves. The one common theme that runs throughout the album is Mraz's ability as a musician, songwriter and performer. These undeniable qualities will go a long way to establishing him in the music industry.
by Greg Yost
Jason Mraz' Official Web Site
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