John Mayer evokes the hushed professionalism of '80s adult contemporary rock on his eighth studio album, 2021's
Sob Rock.
Mayer has always worn his influences on his sleeve, often bringing together the bluesy fretwork of
Eric Clapton with the yearning singer/songwriter sincerity of James Taylor. He's also made no secret of how much the sound of mid- and late-'80s pop/rock has informed his own work, and albums like 2006's Grammy-winning
Continuum and 2012's
Born and Raised have found him drawing upon the work of icons like
Sting,
Peter Gabriel, and
Neil Young. Once again working with legendary producer
Don Was (who helmed
Born and Raised),
Mayer has crafted an album that purposefully sounds like it could have been released anytime between 1985 and 1990. It's a gauzy, teal-toned throwback aesthetic that
Mayer extends to the album's visuals, including a dusky blue LP cover photo (some released replete with vintage-appropriate "The Nice Price" sticker in bubbly Cooper font). Given the warm, analog-sounding synths of "The Last Train Home" and the
Fleetwood Mac-isms of "New Light," one could easily listen to
Sob Rock and imagine
Mayer fitting into a group like
the Traveling Wilburys or showing up at Live Aid 1985 to sit in with
Dire Straits. There are several stand-out tracks here, including the aforementioned "The Last Train Home" and the
Bruce Hornsby-esque "Shot in the Dark" that stick in your head in the way the best of
Mayer's work often does. ~ Matt Collar