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Aug 19, 2013While the album doesn’t have the dynamic genre-hopping sensibility that made both Continuum and Born and Raised instant classics, it’s still a solid set of songs that follows one of today’s best songwriters as he establishes a new comfort zone.
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Aug 21, 2013The level of growth on Paradise Valley with respect to Mayer’s ability as a singer/songwriter is remarkable, especially considering how the first go-round of this sonic experiment happened only last year.
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Aug 19, 2013Ultimately, whether it's Tubb's honky tonk twang, or the twang of Mayer's own heart, the sound of Paradise Valley rings true.
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Aug 23, 2013Eleven songs that hit the mark where last year’s overwrought "Born and Raised" mostly missed, Paradise Valley is a more lyrically restrained and less generically reflective affair. And musically, it’s bigger, more accomplished and more approachable.
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Aug 20, 2013Mayer can get in trouble when he pushes too hard for effect, so the laid-back vibe here works to his advantage, allowing both his talent and his charm to shine.
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Aug 19, 2013The tender vocals contributed to Wildfire by surprise guest Frank Ocean are easily the most striking 85 seconds on the record. But the biggest talking point here will be Paper Doll. Apparently aimed at another ex, Taylor Swift, it's a washed-out ballad that takes the concept of "too much information" to a new level
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Aug 20, 2013These new songs are so amiable that you wonder where they’re meant to take you. Often the breezy journey--while pleasant enough--leads to dead ends.
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Aug 19, 2013Give Mayer credit for keeping his languid country pop organic and as rootsy as someone with his honeyed voice can sound. Yet that only reveals the mediocre quality of the bulk of this material and is no excuse for his sleepwalking performance of it.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 41 out of 49
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Mixed: 5 out of 49
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Negative: 3 out of 49
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Aug 20, 2013
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Aug 20, 2013
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Apr 8, 2021