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\t\u201cWaiting on the World to Change\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tA top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hit and Grammy winner to boot, the mildly politically charged \u201cWaiting on the World to Change\u201d is the biggest commercial hit on\u00a0Continuum,\u00a0and one of the biggest of his career. That being said, it\u00a0simply does not match the lyricism and grooviness of the rest of the project. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\u201cBold as Love\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat\u2019s bolder than love? Covering a track by arguably the best guitarist in music history so well that it finds a permanent spot on your studio release. Today, Mayer is widely known to be one of the best guitarists of modern times \u2014 but even then, he did justice to the late, great Jimi Hendrix. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI\u2019m Gonna Find Another You\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI\u2019m Gonna Find Another You\u201d puts a bow on Continuum. Mayer reaches the final stage of his grief and heartbreak \u2014 acceptance \u2014 as he sings of the future. With a well-rounded mix of the various drums, saxophone, keyboards and organs that comprise the sound of the entire album, it\u2019s a solid closing track on the project.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\u201cBelief\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tSimilar thematically to \u201cWaiting on the World to Change\u201d (\u201cWe\u2019re never gonna win the world\/ We\u2019re never gonna stop the war\u201d), this track takes a bluesier route that makes it a better sonic fit for the larger project. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\u201cIn Repair\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe penultimate track on the journey of this heartbreak album, \u201cIn Repair\u201d feels like we\u2019re rounding the corner. While acknowledging his brokenness, he looks toward the future (\u201cI\u2019m in repair\/ I\u2019m not together but I\u2019m getting there\u201d). Of course, he tosses in another epic guitar solo, for good measure.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI Don\u2019t Trust Myself (With Loving You)\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThis one is straight easy listening. From the groove through the vocal runs, you could easily have this song play on repeat in your favorite lounge and be perfectly content.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\u201cDreaming With a Broken Heart\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe delicate piano intro lulls you into Mayer\u2019s heartsick subconcious on \u201cDreaming with a Broken Heart,\u201d and the dreamlike state continues until it burts at the climax of the track. By the end, he\u2019s practically shouting with urgency until he\u2019s awake in his solo reality again: \u201cDo I have to fall asleep with roses in my hand?\/ Would you get them if I did?\/ No, you won\u2019t, because you\u2019re gone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\u201cVultures\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tMayer is facing his critics, or rather, his \u201cvultures,\u201d head-on here, but what makes \u201cVultures\u201d a standout cut on Continuum is Mayer\u2019s vocal range. It\u2019s not often he\u2019ll flex those high highs \u2014 yet nearly the entire track is composed of them, layered with a punctuating keyboard and searing guitar solo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThe Heart of Life\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tJohn, your optimist is showing! The steady, upbeat strumming throughout pulls you into and makes you believe the message that it\u2019s going to be okay: \u201cNo, it won\u2019t all go the way it should \/ But I know the heart of life is good.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\u201cStop This Train\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tMayer has a way of verbalizing the innermost thoughts people are either afraid to, or can\u2019t find the words to say. \u201cStop This Train\u201d embodies the feelings of it all being too much coupled with not knowing what the heck we\u2019re all doing in this life. He opts for bluntness in the verses, a direct foil to the clear-as-day metaphoric chorus\u00a0\u2014 \u201cDon\u2019t know how else to say it, don\u2019t want to see my parents go\/ One generation\u2019s length away from fighting life out on my own\u201d \u2014 and, later, \u201cSo scared of getting older\/ I\u2019m only good at being young\/ So I play the numbers game to find a way to say that life has just begun.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cGravity\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tBluesy and soulful, \u201cGravity\u201d brings Mayer\u2019s guitar playing to the forefront. The track has gone on to become a quintessential JM track, and an always-on-rotation curtain-closer for his live sets, with one of his most enduring lyrics powering through the outro: \u201cJust keep me where the light is.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\u201cSlow Dancing in a Burning Room\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe John Mayer song to end all John Mayer songs. Despite never being released as a single<\/a>, it\u2019s often cited as one of the best songs in his entire discography. While titled with perhaps his\u00a0most poignant visual metaphor to date, the ever-evolving guitar solo is what helped cement him as a live music legend over the last 20 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t<\/p>\n \t<\/a><\/p>\n Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox<\/p>\n