As a self-proclaimed DeadHead, I have learned slowly to love John Mayer as his recent stint with Dead & Company has revitalized decades-old music for fans looking for an entry point to one of America’s most prolific ensembles. While 2013’s “Paradise Valley” felt more like a precursor for the endeavor, “The Search For Everything” falls back into the stigma of melodic soft rock that has turned Mayer into a cliché of the “celebrity rockstar.”
Barring Mayer’s lackluster lyrical abilities, I must commend his guitar chops, which essentially landed him the role within the echelons of the Dead anthology. Look to “Helpless,” which reminisces within the aura of The Stones’ “Miss You,” carrying a funk tone that brings Mayer back to his roots. Collaborating with bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan (the three of which form the John Mayer Trio), this track exudes the most honest tone in Mayer’s repertoire, resonating why I fell for Mayer’s music in the first place.
“Moving On and Getting Over,” Mayer’s hallmark of his latest collection of songs, provides the sex appeal that fans had been craving for the past four years, bringing together a stylish rhythm and enigmatic lyrics; “Tell me I can keep the door cracked open, to let light through/For all my running, I can understand/I’m one text away from being back again.” “Still Feel Like Your Man,” the introduction to “The Search For Everything” immediately brings the listener back to 2006’s “Continuum,” where Mayer reigned over the music industry as a prince amongst paupers.
Outside of these aforementioned compositions, “The Search For Everything” slips as a forgettable album that is unable to rise to the occasion of competing with Mayer’s recent string of success in terms of proficiency with Dead & Company. Songs like “Emoji of a Wave” and “Love on the Weekend” attempt to keep Mayer relevant with modern themes of technology and romance, yet fall short of the spectacle that keeps Mayer on top.
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