The final installment to the waves, John Mayer finally released his full-length LP after four years of hiatus since “Paradise Valley” in 2013. GRAMMY winning, musically talented, good-looking, charitable Mayer has everything one would want in life. Years of success has brought the public along with his ups and downs. But a somber (and pretty ambiguous) break-up with long-time ex, Katy Perry, has returned him to his music to find something else to live for. The concluding four songs of “The Search for Everything” perfectly sums up his recovery from a broken-hearted man to someone who has eventually retaken control of his life and music.
1. In the Blood
Accompanied by simple chords on the acoustic guitar, Mayer sings of his concerns in life beyond simply his broken heart.
“And what about this feeling that I’m never good enough? / Will it wash out in the water, or is it always in the blood?”
As his 40th birthday approaches in several months (October 16th), he wonders if he’ll ever find someone to spend the rest of his life with. For years now, he has gone through a string of short-term relationships, never settling down for fear that he is not deserving of the love and unable to change.
2. Theme from "The Search for Everything"
The only instrumental song in the album, Mayer showcases his talent as an acoustic guitarist through a combination of strumming and picking. This is a new territory for the music industry veteran, never before including an instrumental piece in his previous albums. The well-coordinated repeated motive of the guitars and piano’s descending notes add to the placid and tranquil tone of the LP.
3. Never on the Day You Leave
Another ballad on his former relationship with Perry, Mayer sings about the changes that he had to go through since the breakup.
“Love grows in / The time it’s been / Since you last heard her sing / She’ll cut her hair / And leave somewhere / She don’t owe you anything”.
He talks about how the somber feeling develops through time, more than just simply the day they call it off. At the end of the song, he admits that they might not be the best fit after all and that their separation is simply for the best.
4. Rosie
Heavy on the bass and confident on the electric guitar, this final song talks about Mayer’s broken heart after the breakup.
“Don’t leave me here / Under the January rain / Come let me in / Take my heart by the hand and lead me back to you room / (Back to your room) / And sing me your tune / (Sing me your tune)."
The heavy topic in the lyrics of his inability to move on is contrasted by the easy-going melodies of the solo and the beautiful riffs in between every verse.
Mayer’s eventual return to the charts, though long, is anything but subtle. The musician has always had a knack for creating both weighty ballads of his broken hearts and also blithe up-beat songs of his recovery. As always, “The Search for Everything” is another success for Mayer.
