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For those who enjoyed the wise-ass undercurrent of his debut, this will be a delight. For those who enjoyed "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)," there will be too much narcissistic tomfoolery here to make this enjoyable. For those who never understood the appeal of Jason Mraz in the first place, Mr. A-Z will make them realize that they've really been taking John Mayer for granted.
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Fortunately, producer Steve Lillywhite is on hand to clean things up, giving even the most bumbling lyrical experiments, such as "Wordplay" and "Geek in the Pink," at least the illusion of a newfound maturity.
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There's an overriding sense of preciousness that permeates "Mr. A-Z," and a few instances ("O. Lover," "The Forecast") where his homages to '70s AM radio sneak over into copies.
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BlenderImpressive at times... The problem isn't style--it's substance. Mraz's songwriting chops leave plenty to be desired. [Aug 2005, p.114]
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Entertainment WeeklyBut if many of his overheated lyrics crash, let the black box show that even his most banal efforts are ridiculously hummable. [29 Jul 2005, p.66]
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Paste MagazineWhat makes this glossy album more charming than cloying overall is the totally unselfconscious way he throws himself into these showy and technically stunning performances. [Aug/Sep 2005, p.111]
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UncutWhile he lacks a killer song here, Mraz is cute enough to keep his Lemonheads-lite ballads bubbling along. [Feb 2006, p.74]
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It's shallow but sweet, light-hearted pop indulgence, like the love child of Elton John and Jamiroquai auditioning for Simon Cowell.
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Q MagazineHe certainly pushes the right commercial buttons. [Mar 2006, p.108]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 53 out of 69
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Mixed: 5 out of 69
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Negative: 11 out of 69
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Jul 25, 2012
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JoeyPSep 10, 2007
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LenT.Jul 1, 2007