YES!

Yes! is a little different from a typical Jason Mraz CD. He’s always been a great lyricist with catchy music. But I feel like Yes! departs from his normal sound that somehow captures both a high energy mood with a laid back feel. The music in this CD is a little more mellow overall. But his lyrics seem to go to the next level on this album, showing even more depth to his songs that we are used to. (And his previous stuff was already pretty deep. This just goes up a notch) There are two tracks that really stood out on this CD. The first is “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye” which you’ve certainly heard as a Motown hit by GC Cameron from almost 40 years ago and then again from Boyz II Men in the early 90’s (and then pretty much all through the rest of that decade). This is a far more sad song that you typically hear from Mraz, so it’s an interesting departure. And it’s not just a typical cover. Jason really makes it his own. He really makes this very familiar song sound new. (This song might not be for everyone. I know some people just loath covers no matter what. If that’s your thing, I understand.) The other is “3 Things”. This one gets back to that catchy ‘hard not to sing along with it’ feel that you’re used to with Mraz. And it doesn’t compromised on the deeper lyrics I mentioned above to do it. So you get that “I’m Yours” type of catchy song that’s just pleasing to your ears and some really solid lyrics that just make this a wonderful song that should stand the test of time. All told I’m very impressed by this album. I think Jason Mraz really stepped up his game and showed some additional talent above even what we’ve seen from him previously. (And I was a fan before this!)

Yes! is a very interesting project. It is Jason Mraz with the LA/San Diego based group Raining Jane. This is a much more acoustic album than Mraz's other albums, often times a little dreamy and ethereal, and with enough sitar and other instruments to give parts of it a slight "world" sound. The songwriting and lyrics are all up to the usual brilliant Mraz standards. I am a huge fan of Jason Mraz, and I have all of his albums. When this album first came out, it was perhaps my least favorite of his, probably because it was a departure from his usual style. However... over the last few years, this has become one of my very favorite Mraz albums. This album will uplift you, inspire you, and some songs will really make you think. Musically it is quite deep, too. If you want a great preview of it, get on youtube and look for the "Mranch" series of videos, which are from an outdoor "live" performance of all of these songs, performed at Mraz's own home (and organic avocado farm!) done just before the album was released. Those performances are stunning and are a great representation of what you will find on this album. Do yourself a favor and just buy this CD and give it a few listens. I think you will agree that this project was brilliant in all facets.

I love everything about this album. Every song on this album (except for one) is so upbeat and happy and is feel good. It's a beautiful album and I love listening to it beginning to end. The second song on the album, "Love Someone" was the perfect unique song for walking down the isle when I got married in 2014. I wanted something romantic, perfect for that event, and that nobody else had used before. I got this a month before we got married so everyone melted at our wedding when this song came on for me to walk down the isle to. It's typical Jason Mraz so if you aren't a JM fan, I wouldn't suggest this album to you. If you are a JM fan and like his previous music, I would recommend this to you in an instant. It's a great album!!

Yes! is a marvelous record and one that will fill your home with Love for years to come. Grab your Partner, Snuggle up, put THIS music on and fall In Love again. With Lyrics like this, it won't be hard to do. Thank you for all of your trust Thank you for not giving up Thank you for holding my hand You’ve always known where I stand And I feel my life is better So is the world we’re living in I’m thankful for the time I spent With my best friend

This new offering from Jason Mraz and his co-writers and contributors - Chaska Potter, Mona Tavakoli, Becky Gebhardt, Mike Mogis, Mai Bloomfield, Chris Keup, Stewart Myers - naming them in this review is my making up for my considering an albums as being performed by an individual, rather than the group of performers it really is. These are groups of people and instruments, where all the composing done is contributed by all. For one to produce the overall sound, he would have to over dub more than even Cat Stevens. Jason Mraz is a wonderful talent and a very special musician / songwriter, but this composition is like an orchestra's efforts to produce a wonderful sound from a written piece, where each part of the orchestra contributes to the final result. All these people are as much a part of this album as is Mraz is himself. I'm sure Jason Mraz would agree here. Mraz's vocals and guitar work here, is not just the dominant theme of this albums alone. He is still the wonderful voice and personality of the songs and music, but here where the major influence is a shared effort, for the direction of the songs so that each person gives so much to the whole of this music. When Jason sings "Quiet", he really steps out and the influence he has brought in the past, but here the backing vocals are also so important to this song, that with out it, it would be only a small effort on his part. As such, the other songs benefit even more from these beautiful voices who support this music. If you have been a Jason Mraz fan, from his beginnings and are in awe of his talents and know of the far reaching effect of his career around the wodrld, the long roads he travels, you can appreciate his experiences he draws on for his music. These songs are combined with his love of life to bring out more of his life, than just a talented guy singing songs. The old Jason from "Rocket" is there, in the back of this music and as he's matured and achieved more, he is now becoming a more complete musician. I Enjoy all these new songs and understand Jason Mraz has changed his game. He is evolving and will surely change even more. Oh, some nice guitar still is in there for you to appreciate also, but the vocals are just wonderful. Aug. 2013 revised Dec. 2014.

Every track is a winner. His style and flair are evident on every track.

This is Jason Mraz's best album yet. Collaborating with Raining Jane was a brilliant idea. This is an incredibly upbeat, uplifting, and sweet album. The pairing of Mr. Mraz's skills with the vocals and musicality of Raining Jane is an amazing combination. This is an accoustic album and the vocals of the ladies makes the album complete. I would compare their vocal contributions to that of an acapella group. I also love the use of the Cajone and Sitar in this album. I had never heard of Raining Jane before and I now, I can't possibly forget them.

I have loved every song Jason Mraz has ever recorded. In this album he makes you feel like you are joining him on a happy ride through life. The music is very uplifting and joyful and he lets us in to the joyful place he seems to be in currently. He has a love of nature and the earth and his positive energy comes through in his music. The ladies of Raising Jane are extremely talented and a perfect accompaniment to his music.