The sophomore curse is a real concern for artists these days. A standout debut performance cannot only make a household name out of a mere hometown notable; it can break a career even before it's made. There are some exceptions, though.
With the September 2001 release of "Room For Squares," John Mayer broke through a mold so crusty with failure, any follow-up would seem less than stellar.
Released almost two years to the date after "Room for Squares," "Heavier Things" is a casual breeze of radio-friendly pop/rock tunes just ripe for a Kiss-98.5's picking.
The opening track, "Clarity," is a pleasing introduction to Mayer's new brand of rock. Rhythms more complex than the pick-strum-strum pop/rock of "Room for Squares" take over, and with pleasing affect. Warm "woo-oohs" coo in the background, guitars pluck intricately, and with the addition of sweet piano accents, creates atmosphere for the subsequent tracks' mature sensibilities.
Sadly, the album's first single, "Bigger Than My Body," is quite dull. An over-produced "maybe I'll make it big someday" lesson in pathos, it's just a few synthesized trumpets away from being a Shania Twain "I am woman, hear me roar" anthem.
"Something's Missing" and "Come Back To Bed" are two more skip-able, filler mumbo-jumbo. It is tracks like these that downgrade his "it boy" status from truly remarkable to just better than average.
A slight rebound on "Split Screen Sadness" gives a jumpstart to a slacking middle section. And then, a total turnaround takes effect.
"Daughters," a sweet little track Mayer wrote while in New Zealand, finally gives a little "vintage" Mayer back to listeners who have to wait through three-quarters of the album for the power of a well-written love song.
The resurgence continues with "Only Heart," a venture into rock-and-roll territory on the otherwise subtle album. A driving guitar introduction greets lyrics that prescribe the notion that a couple in love would be happier in life if they forget the details of relational dynamics, and just go with the flow.
A worthy candidate in a pool of sophomore albums of the last few years, "Heavier Things" shouldn't count against Mayer. While "Room For Squares" was hardly a masterpiece, it was an impressive statement to be made for someone being hailed as the next Dave Matthews.
Still, many have come and gone since Mathews burst onto the college music scene in the 1990s. Joan Osborne, David Gray, Lisa Loeb and even Macy Gray attempted similar careers of adult contemporary singer/songwriter music that bent more towards an MTV version of Sting than a James Taylor folk revival.
If it takes a collection of sub-standard songs to get the symptomatic jinx out of Mayer's system, then let this be it. And let him move on to bigger and greater things. Take a lesson from the greats, John: it's not the number of instruments you have on a song; it's how you use them.
It's too bad no one gave Macy that memo.
