Reviewing John Mayer’s ‘Born and Raised’: What are the Critics Saying?

The album ‘Born and Raised’ by John Mayer is attracting a lot of critical interest. It is his first studio album since delivering ‘Battle Studies’ in 2009. The set hit the shelves on the 22^nd of May. Born in Connecticut, the singer-songwriter had taken a 2 year hiatus. This was after he became overwhelmed by the bright lights of stardom in the fateful year 2010. At the time he seemed intent on self destruction as exemplified by that dicey Playboy interview. He was in trouble with many A-List female celebrities who felt insulted by some of the remarks that he made. The former bad boy is attempting to clean up his image with the latest album.

Moving on from some pretty controversial times

There are 13 tracks on the album ‘Born and Raised’ by John Mayer. The LP combines a co-production project between Don Was and Mayer. The Grammy Award-winning Don is joined by some guest stars including Chris Botti, Sara Watkins and Jim Keltner. Most critics have been positive in the reviews, concentrating on the album rather than the tempestuous vocal outbursts attributed to the artist. Others said that Mayer had finally found some humility after years of rubbing everyone up the wrong way. It has been compared to the Laurel Canyon days of the 1970s.

According to the Billboard review, this was a tight ensemble that managed to convey a positive message: “It’s one of Mayer’s most diverse and exploratory albums yet, trying on a variety of different styles to accompany a set of particularly reflective and soul-searching tunes”. The highlights include ‘Love is a Verb’ which uses a soulful tune to capture the audience attention. Entertainment Weekly believes that this is the closest thing to an apology that Taylor Swift and Jessica Simpson are ever going to get. The critics seem to have accepted the peace offering.