Jason Mraz – Yes!

Yes! is the fifth studio album from Jason Mraz, arriving 12 years after his major debut back in 2002. Mraz is an artist whose journey you can track through his music, his style varying from quick, rhythmical lyrics and clever wordplay through to sing along favourites such as I’m Yours and I Won’t Give Up, progressing through to the current day and Yes! – an album with a much mellower sound, but with tracks that hint at his extensive musical journey.

The general theme of the album revolves around love and its many quirks, from weathered, age-old romantic love to the bond between best friends. The lead single Love Someone is a tribute to intense feelings of love, and the backing support of the band Raining Jane (with whom Mraz recorded this album) adds a ethereal layer to the song, giving the track a light and happy feel that translates through to their presence on the rest of the album. Yes! is an optimistic look at life and all of the relationships within it, with tracks like Shine and 3 Things portraying the world in ways not often seen in popular music – the latter a song about things ending and a world caving in, which sounds depressing, but becomes one of the cheeriest songs on the album. Mraz’s obviously positive outlook on life reflects into his music marvellously, making for a pleasantly euphonious album.

While Yes! doesn’t have the quick and clever feel of some of Mraz’s previous work, it is easy to hear where he has come from while you listen to the album. It’s a matured interpretation of the messages of love and friendship Mraz has carried with him throughout his career; even when melancholy, his music is still ultimately positive, something rare to find so consistently through an artist’s work. Long-term fans of Mraz will enjoy this album as the most recent instalment of his richly varied musical journey, and new listeners will find enjoyment in a collection of mellow but bright songs about the ups and downs of the world.

Amy McLelland

Yes! was released on 15^th July 2014. For further information or to order the album visit Jason Mraz’s website here.

Watch the video for Love Someone here: