Waiting for My Rocket to Come

1	You and I Both 3:39
2	I'll Do Anything 3:11
3	The Remedy (I Won't Worry) 4:16
4	Who Needs Shelter 3:12
5	Curbside Prophet 3:34
6	Sleep All Day 4:56
7	Too Much Food 3:41
8	Absolutely Zero 5:39
9	On Love in Sadness 3:28
10	No Stopping Us 3:18
11	The Boy's Gone 4:15
12	Tonight, Not Again 4:49

Barnes & Noble

Since Dave Matthews rose to stadium-filling status, folks have been paying more attention to the quiet guy -- you know, the fella with the guitar, sitting in the corner of the room, spinning subtle tales without so much as a single rock-god scream. Jason Mraz, who's actually been taking that route for several years (and on several self-released albums), is the latest low-key rocker to get noticed -- and, judging by this major-label bow, he's got plenty to say. He's a smoother singer than most, as borne out by the lustrous "You and I Both." But he's also prone to clever musical digression, such as the trip-hop stylings of "The Remedy." Even the better songwriters in the genre know that it don't mean a thing if it ain't got some swing, and Mraz gets his by enlisting the rhythm section from his Virginia homeboys Agents of Good Roots. The uncluttered, loping grooves they lay down on tunes like "Curbside Prophet" keep the body involved while the spirit follows Mraz down whatever winding path he's exploring. Like kindred spirits Jack Johnson and John Mayer, he's not exactly trying to change the world, but as he proves on pure pop nuggets like the Crowded House–styled "Who Needs Shelter," providing the listener with a little nudge toward pleasure can be earth-shattering enough in its own right. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Jason Mraz's Waiting for My Rocket to Come is a two-part invention. The first level is that of a young, almost compelling, singer/songwriter. Mraz has a nice voice, perhaps a little too articulated at times, which manages to mostly avoid the histrionic despite a predilection towards show tuney melodic turns. His voice tumbles out on top of folk-reggae rhythms that will probably sound a bit dated with time, but his vocals are filled with enough internal rhythms and rhymes to keep them interesting. Lyrically, Mraz relies on cliché to a certain degree, but does so with an earnestness that allows for believability and an eye for imagery that succeeds often enough to suggest that he knows what he's doing. The second level of Waiting for My Rocket to Come is the production of John Alagía, whose work has enhanced other similar folk-pop fair, including the Dave Matthews Band and O.A.R. His work with Mraz is, at its best, transparent, filling out the songs with subtle and glossy production and instrumentation. Reflections of banjos, organs, mellotrons, lap steels, ukuleles, and others peak out through the shine of the tunes, creating an impact too rich to be written off as lite. ~ Jesse Jarnow, All Music Guide