Atlantic (label)
26 March 2012 (released)
07 March 2012
It might not seem like it, but it is almost four years since we had new material from Jason Mraz. Such was the global impact of I’m Yours, it does not feel like he has been away. But for fans, it has been a long wait since We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things in 2008.
That last album saw Mraz move from his jaunty and cheeky pop to a more acoustic and middle of the road sound and it is no surprise that the first taste of his forthcoming album Love Is A Four Letter Word has a similar sound. After all Mraz has millions of fans that joined the bandwagon because of I’m Yours.
Artists often find it hard to match early releases with third and fourth albums, as the energy of those early days gets sapped by the media, touring and generally growing up. It is not that I Won’t Give Up is not a good pop song. It is perfectly listenable and radio will love it, building from a gentle acoustic strum to an anthemic chorus. It is just that Mraz can offer so much more.
Fans that have followed Mraz since his coffee shop performance days always knew he was a huge talent and now success has come his way, it is a question of how that affects his career. Other tracks leaked ahead of the album, like the seventies inspired pop of The World As I See It, hint that better is to come. Fans will hope so, it has been too long.
