By Elyssa Goldstein

After two successful pop-rock collections, Room for Squares and Heavier Things, John Mayer is taking time out to explore the blues and jazz elements that have influenced him from the early days of his career. The John Mayer Trio was originally formed as the primary outlet for this music, featuring well-established musicians Pino Palladino on bass and Steve Jordan on drums. The John Mayer Trio released Try! in November 2005, a live record intended to introduce Mayer’s loyal fan base to his new sound and style. For his third studio solo effort, Mayer retained the blues-fused compositions, along with Palladino and Jordan, placing sole responsibility on his audience to embrace a new, inspired John Mayer. Continuum retains the lyrical brilliance of past Mayer albums (showcased artfully on “Belief”: “Belief is a beautiful armor/ But makes for the heaviest sword/ Like punching under water/ You can never hit who you’re trying for,” The album differs in its musical structure, employing many jazz and blues elements which provide for a calm simplicity as opposed to oft-overproduced pop-rock discs. However, the purity of this record may indeed disappoint a number of Mayer fans, who were not expecting a first single like “Waiting on the World to Change” or may not appreciate a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Bold as Love.” It is imperative to look past what we might have expected of Mayer, and focus on what we have been given by him instead. One can argue that Mayer is being too self-indulgent with Continuum. Has he earned that level of notoriety yet where he can make a record for his own tastes, ignoring the formula that brought him said status? Only sales numbers and chart positions can validate such a claim. However, if the fans respond positively has Mayer succeeded despite what statistics he is presented? This is a classic debate that surrounds artists undertaking new musical journeys, one fans will continue to observe. In an album that at times feels monotonous, patches of light do shine through the clouds. “Dreaming with a Broken Heart” is one such effort near the disc’s conclusion, although the poetic piano ballad may be too little, too late for this collection. In short, Mayer, like many of his idols before him, might have been preemptive with this release, but down the line Continuum may be heralded as a true medium of change.