Jason Mraz isn't a household name, but the up-and-coming musician made an impact last year as the support act for James Blunt's concerts.
Mr A-Z is the follow-up to his well-received debut album, Waiting For My Rocket to Come (2002). Produced by Grammy award winner Steve Lillywhite (U2, Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band), Mr A-Z proves that Mraz is a versatile songwriter. Its diverse mix of mainstream pop, acoustic sounds and folksy vibes are pleasing to the ears.
It's a likeable album, but the songs don't flow well. Most of the ballads are better than the upbeat tracks.
Opener Life is Wonderful is an impressive ballad underlined by a catchy melody, strains of refreshing acoustic guitar and Mraz's crooning. However, the mood changes abruptly with Wordplay and Geek in the Pink. The upbeat pop songs are characterised by Mraz's half-sung, half-rapped vocals, but they don't live up to the opening track.
Mr Curiosity would be a beautiful ballad without Mraz's falsetto vocals and the unnecessary addition of a few lines sung by an opera singer.
But Mraz shines in Bella Luna - a beautiful bossa nova piece that tugs at the heartstrings. Closing track Song for a Friend is a heartfelt rendition that ends the album on an uplifting note.
