I’ve just started out in my career properly and my commute to work is an hour each way, so I’ve had more time to think and reflect. Recently, I’ve been travelling more frequently again. These elements of the album may not seem revolutionary now but in 2006 when high-tempo mainstream pop and R&B ruled the world, mixing in heavy blues and folk influences would have been considered bold and somewhat leftfield. Not one of the tracks on the Continuum record venture out of the slow to mid-tempo range and each respectively toys with elements of blues, folk, R&B and rock.
His mainstream looks and largely pop discography should not overshadow the fact that he is an extremely skilled guitarist and insightful songwriter who experimented with mixing genre way before it was cool. To this day, I find long-distance travelling evokes melancholy and reflective emotions and Continuum and Battle Studies seem to match that energy perfectly without bringing me down.īy many, John Mayer is considered a ‘pretty-boy’ pop star, which is a true but not all-encompassing view. Something about the airy, soft and easy energy of John’s music appealed to me when I travelled. However, once I did, his entire back-catalogue became the soundtrack to every long-distance car and coach journey I took as a teenager (of which there were many). So, it took until 2009 when Mayer released Battle Studies for me to discover any of his music. I was only 10 in 2006 when Continuum was released and at that time my musical exploration was still limited to pop-punk. John Mayer, in general, is a very nostalgic artist for me. Since Continuum and “Vultures” were released, Mayer has produced a great deal of wonderful work but arguably nothing that rivals the slow to mid-tempo, reflective and vulnerable perfection that he offered us on Continuum. Although, despite reaching its fourteenth birthday, many of the tracks on Continuum remain relatable in 2020 - “ Vultures ,” in particular, stands out as a truly timeless song that feels and sounds just as good now as it did then. It has been well over a decade since John Mayer released Continuum, which debuted at Number 2 on the US Billboard Top 200 chart and then won the 2007 Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album. John Mayer’s ‘Vultures’ teaches us that not all problems are easily solved, and every light has its shadow.
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