The romantic Jason Mraz

There is a quote in the insert in the sleeve of the new album Love Is A Four Letter Word by Jason Mraz. It is by Fred Rogers, the famous American educator and host of the classic TV show, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood from the ’60s. It says, “Understanding love is one of the hardest things in the world.” Then instead of the usual pictures of the artist or lyrics of the songs, there are photos of felt cutouts forming the word Love.

The talented Mraz, this generation’s foremost troubadour, is in a romantic mood. Not that he had not been romantic before. His big hit I’m Yours is a great love song. So is Lucky, his duet with Colbie Caillat. I must say that what he now wants is to be more than romantic. He wants to spread love throughout the world through this, his fourth studio album. So he talks about love in every cut, exploring various facets of the emotion with assorted rhythms, while trying to understand the feeling, and while also trying to spread the love around. I do not know how far he succeeded in his intent.

But then, who among us, even somebody with a ready lyric for everything like Mraz, can really understand what love is? Still, the album is undoubtedly his best with its tight production, smooth vocals and soaring arrangements. Everything fits perfectly together. It is up to the listener to say if it succeeds as an exploration of love but I am sure everybody will agree that it is also a showcase of how much Mraz has evolved and improved as an artist. 

This guy is serious. The jaunty rhythm of his early CDs, Waiting For My Rocket To Come, Mr. A — Z and We Sing We Dance We Steal Things remains but the fun sound has now given way to a laidback, introspective collection. The result is an album that is an easy listening gem that gladdens the heart and leaves the listener, inspired and hopeful.

The only problem with Mraz’s Love, if we can call it a problem, is that there are no clear monster singles in the song line-up. Remember how I’m Yours almost literally leapt out of the album as a hit? I Won’t Give Up has been released as the first single. It is good but even better when heard with the other cuts. Living In The Moment, which echoes I’m Yours, also has prospects of being a single hit but is more meaningful heard with the others. That is how coherent and together this album is. 

So enjoy hearing a single or two from Love on the radio but get the whole CD for total satisfaction. I do not know if Mraz really set out to do something like this, but he has come out with a well-produced, enjoyable concept album. In this world of single digital downloads, I have not heard something like that in quite sometime.

Love Is A Four Letter Word also includes The Freedom Song, The Woman I Love, Everything Is Sound, 93 Million Miles, Frank D. Fixer, Who’s Thinking About You Now? In Your Hands, Be Honest featuring Inara George and the beautiful summation of the package, The World As I See It.

Love Is A Four Letter Word has dropped down from No. 2 in Billboard Magazine’s list of the week’s Top 200 Albums but it is still doing very well at No. 10. On top is Blunderbuss, a solo effort by Jack White of White Stripes. 

The rest are: 21 by Adele; Tuskegee by Lionel Richie; Up All Night by One Direction; Hard 2 Love by Lee Brice; Up All Night by Kip Moore; The Wanted by The Wanted; Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded by Nicki Minaj; Making Mirrors by Gotye; Love Is A Four Letter Word by Mraz; California 37 by Train; Tailgates & Tanlines by Luke Bryan; El Camino by The Black Keys; Slipstream by Bonnie Raitt; Small Town Family Dream by the Josh Abbott Band; Club Life: Volume Two: Miami by Tiesto; Boys & Girls by the Alabama Shakes; Pluto by Future; Changed by Rascal Flatts; and Chief by Eric Church.