Waiting For My Rocket To Come [Vinyl LP]

Although young Jason Mraz's percussive acoustic guitar rhythms, tumbling verbiage, and funk/folk/jazz/pop concoctions may occasionally bear echoes of John Mayer and Dave Matthews, that's only one part of a bigger musical story as realized on the singer-songwriter's debut album WAITING FOR MY ROCKET TO COME. "Absolutely Zero," for instance, is a sophisticated, atmospheric ballad that bears echoes of Jeff Buckley and Coldplay. With its sunny horns, wah-wah guitar, and bouncy groove, "No Stopping Us" sounds like a lost '70s AM pop classic. "I'll Do Anything" alternates a rock chorus with a percolating reggae feel on the verses. And while the aforementioned Mayer and Matthews are admittedly predisposed toward a somewhat mumbling vocal style, Mraz sports a strong, bright voice loaded with both range and personality, making it that much easier for him to glide from style to style throughout the album.