Jason Mraz is obsessed with love, and his fourth album, Love is A Four Letter Word, released this month, is testament to this. The 12-song collection features all kinds of love; not just puppy or romantic love, the trade of most popular singers, but also familial and universal love.

The 33-year-old, best known for such hits as “I’m Yours” and “Geek In The Pink” (remember his Mr. A to Z days?), has clearly grown musically. While ties to the folk/pop genre remain evident and largely unchanged from his last recording, 2008’s We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things., this album is chock-full of tracks with a  relaxed, mellow vibe that make for easy, breezy listening.

Jason Mraz has great expectations to live up to. After all, “I’m Yours”, the single from his previous album, set a record for having the longest run on the American Billboard 100, staying on the charts for an impressive 76 weeks.

But we suspect the first single off this album, “I Won’t Give Up”, will offer Mraz another shot at the same success. Here, Mraz sings about the pains of stepping out of a long relationship. “When you’re needing your space to do some navigating, I’ll be here patiently waiting,” he assures, with a hint of wistfulness in his voice. It’s hard for the song not to resonate with the listener—particularly if the person has just gone through a painful break-up.In fact, Mraz revealed he’d penned the song to cope with breaking up with his fiancée of almost five years, singer-songwriter Tristan Prettyman.

“93 Million Miles” serves as a reminder of familial love and how its ties know no bounds. “Just know that wherever you go, you can always come home,” he sings, to a harmony of mellow guitars. It’s soulful and upbeat all at once, and the perfect reminder that family will always be there for you no matter where you go or how far you stray. Another great one is “Frank D. Fixer,” a tribute to Mraz’s grandfather. In it, the singer shares the life his grandfather led—“he grew his own food and fixed his own car”—then expresses, “I wish I was a fixer… I wish I was that guy”.

Also apparent in this collection are jazz-reggae influences in such songs as “5/6”, a time signature that doesn’t actually exist. But to take the track at face value would be doing the song injustice. “5/6” is a play on rhythms, and alternates back and forth between two time signatures: 5/8 and 6/8, according to Mraz. He is at his soulful best here, floating freely as he sings of hurrying down to the bottom of your soul “when the world is turning topside and turvy”. While there may be mild confusion over what the lyrics to the song really mean, “5/6” is really about going with the flow of life, the singer explains to Huffington Post.

Fans will also appreciate “Living In The Moment”, another carefree track that will surely lift your spirits with its uplifting lyrics. “I got peace in my heart, got peace in my soul,” declares Mraz. Its Bob Marley-esque reggae conjures to mind idyllic scenes of relaxing by the beach and living life to the fullest.

“The Freedom Song” is the only track off the album not penned by the singer-songwriter himself and also the first cover song by Jason Mraz. Written by Luc Reynaud (of the band Luc & the Lovingtons) and several children after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, USA, Mraz croons to trumpets and reggae beats here. “When I’m calm, I feel good. When I feel good, I sing—and the joy it brings makes me feel good.”

In all, the peace-loving Mraz appears to be attempting to turn the tide in today’s massively generic pop culture scene. Whether you’ve lost hope in a relationship, want to know a little more about the singer’s inspirations (“Frank D. Fixer” is a good place to start) or just need something breezy and carefree to turn your day around, this album covers it all.

Devout fans will devour Love Is A Four-Letter Word in its entirety, and we predict the singer will see more love coming his way from newly earned fans too. Hit play, then lean back, put up your feet, and let those fuzzy, feel-good vibes wash over you.

 

Jason Mraz will be in Singapore headlining Rhythm With Nature on Jun 29, as part of a 3-day outdoor music festival to mark the opening of Gardens By The Bay. Tickets are going at $98 and are available through SISTIC.

Album Details

  • Artiste: Jason Mraz
  • Album Name: Love Is A Four Letter Word
  • Rating (out of 5): 4/5
  • Language: English
  • Genre: Folk/Pop
  • Record Label: Atlantic Records
  • Release date: Apr 16, 2012

 

Tracklist

1. The Freedom Song
2. Living In The Moment
3. The Woman I Love
4. I Won’t Give Up
5. 5/6
6. Everything Is Sound
7. 93 Million Miles
8. Frank D. Fixer
9. Who’s Thinking About You Now?
10. In Your Hands
11. Be Honest (feat. Inara George)
12. The World As I See It