Record of the Day: John Mayer - Shadow Days

So, I don't want to be one of those dicks/hipster people who go on and on about how they have liked an artist or a movie or an actor since the beginning of time before everyone else, which then gives them some kind of claim over that artist/movie/actor but HONESTLY that is what happened with me and John Mayer! Seriously. I bought his very first EP Inside Wants Out about 10 years ago now (by the way - best EP I've ever heard by far) and have been completely in love with his music ever since. I mean, that dude KNOWS how to write a song. I know he's kind of an asshole in real life but I just don't care, he voice makes me block it all out. I've seen him twice now and was absolutely not disappointed. I particularly like that he brings a big Persian carpet with him to all his gigs to stand on. I enjoy a good artist quirk.

It's been a while since I've done a top 5 soooo....my top 5 John Mayer records go something like this (with some super cool live versions):

5. Your Body Is a Wonderland (from Room for Squares, 2001) Here's a nice acoustic version:

4. Comfortable (from Inside Wants Out, 1999 / re-released 2002) Here's a live version that goes into his delicious cover of Tom Petty's Free Fallin' (FYI one of my favourite songs of all time - I like to think it's being sung to me because of the line "She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis"...)

3. Dreaming with a Broken Heart (from Continuum, 2006)

2. 3x5 (from Room for Squares, 2001)

1. Say (from The Bucket List OST, 2011) Here's the music video; this movie is absolutely heartbreaking by the way - but GREAT of course.

His fifth studio album was released last week and having it pre-ordered for months, it arrived at my work place last Tuesday and I sat and listened to the entire album in detail. As we're all weird music freaks at my office this is a thing many people I know do - really get to know an album - which I did. And now I want to marry the album and have little Grace-album babies with it because oh my god IT'S SO BLOODY GOOD. You'd think after 5 albums there would be a couple of duds on there but really really no! It's genius. Even more exciting is that the release of the album marks John's return to business after a two year break whilst he had a granuloma near his vocal chords removed - not gonna lie, this stressed me out A LOT but luckily his vocals are as stunning as ever. To sum up, I really like the album...I'll stop rambling now.

I've chosen my favourite so far (I'm sure my mind will change as I listen more, it always does) for today's record of the day, which also happens to be the first single from the album.

Record of the Day: John Mayer - Shadow Days (From Born and Raised, 2012 - Columbia/Sony Music - Damn them...)

My ULTIMATE John Mayer Spotify playlist: John Mayer