Sob Rock

by John Mayer

Overview

John Mayer evokes the hushed professionalism of '80s adult contemporary rock on his eighth studio album, 2021's Sob Rock. Mayer has always worn his influences on his sleeve, often bringing together the bluesy fretwork of Eric Clapton with the yearning singer/songwriter sincerity of James Taylor. He's also made no secret of how much the sound of mid- and late-'80s pop/rock has informed his own work, and albums like 2006's Grammy-winning Continuum and 2012's Born and Raised have found him drawing upon the work of icons like Sting, Peter Gabriel, and Neil Young. Once again working with legendary producer Don Was (who helmed Born and Raised), Mayer has crafted an album that purposefully sounds like it could have been released anytime between 1985 and 1990. It's a gauzy, teal-toned throwback aesthetic that Mayer extends to the album's visuals, including a dusky blue LP cover photo (some released replete with vintage-appropriate "The Nice Price" sticker in bubbly Cooper font). Given the warm, analog-sounding synths of "The Last Train Home" and the Fleetwood Mac-isms of "New Light," one could easily listen to Sob Rock and imagine Mayer fitting into a group like the Traveling Wilburys or showing up at Live Aid 1985 to sit in with Dire Straits. There are several stand-out tracks here, including the aforementioned "The Last Train Home" and the Bruce Hornsby-esque "Shot in the Dark" that stick in your head in the way the best of Mayer's work often does. ~ Matt Collar

Product Details

Release Date:	07/16/2021
Label:	Columbia
UPC:	0194398823515

Album Credits

Performance Credits

John Mayer   Primary Artist,Bass,Piano,Keyboards
Lenny Castro   Percussion
Larry Goldings   Keyboards,Percussion
Greg Leisz   Pedal Steel
Greg Phillinganes   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Pino Palladino   Bass
Maren Morris   Vocals
Jamie Muhoberac   Keyboards
Jeff Babko   Keyboards
Aaron Sterling   Drums,Percussion
Sean Hurley   Bass

Technical Credits

Matt Wolach   Mixing Assistant
Chenao Wang   Assistant Engineer
Carlos Serrao   Photography
Chad Franscoviak   Engineer,Producer
Mark "Spike" Stent   Mastering
John Mayer   Composer,Producer
Martin Pradler   Digital Editing
Curt Schneider   Engineer
Ernest Wilson   Composer
Michael Freeman   Mixing Assistant
John Oreshnick   Drum Technician
Ken Helie   Production Coordination
Brandon Phelps   Management
Steve Moir   Management
Irving Azoff   Management
Chris Gott   Production Manager
Randy Merrill   Mastering
Jeremy Dean   Design
J. Reid Hunter   Legal Advisor
Rit Venerus   Management
Jeremy Nielsen   Guitar Technician
No I.D.   Producer
Matt Tuggle   Assistant Engineer
Ryan Lytle   Assistant Engineer
Don Was   Producer
Ryan Del Vecchio   Mastering Assistant