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Hearts grow warmer with Jason Mraz’s YES!

jm-1000x1000Since his hopeful anthem “I Won’t Give Up” sailed the Billboard Charts in 2012, singer/songwriter Jason Mraz has been working on perfecting his hippie groove. Now, the fifth studio album entitled YES! has Mraz’s listeners learning how to love again.

YES! was recorded with Mraz’s companion band Raining Jane, adding a hint of their soft melody into each song on the album. Even in collaboration, Mraz has a distinct tone of optimism that contributes to the purity of his vocal on the 14-track record.

The single off of the album goes by “Love Someone,” appearing on T.V. shows such as American Idol and The Today Show. Not surprisingly, the song slams the door on negativity, embracing the first feelings of affection that morph into a starry love.

While the single sets the giddy tone for YES!, Mraz does not fail to use his songwriting skills to the utmost opportunity.

“And I know my life is better/Because you’re apart of it/I know without you by my side/That I would be different…I’m thankful for the time I spent/With my best friend,” Mraz sings in “Best Friend.”

Not only does the record show that love has its good sides, it also makes a point to show its diversity. By breaking out of the box of affection being felt only between couples, Mraz paints his reputation with a new color of change.

Although they now have a different perspective, Mraz’s songs of love do not fade through this album. He goes back to his roots with the emotional lyrics through “Quiet,” which seems to have the same theme as “I Won’t Give Up.”

“Empires rise, empires fall/Will you be my constant through it all?/I will hold your hand and watch the world spin madly around this life we’re in/Oh yeah, everything goes quiet/When it’s you I’m with,” Mraz serenades.

In his second studio album entitled Mr. A-Z, Mraz dipped his toe in the world of professional covers of famous songs, singing “Rocket Man,” originally by Elton John. “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday” is Mraz’s current remake, bringing back the tunes of Boyz II Men. Mraz sings the song with a vulnerability that makes the song heartbreaking all over again.

Inevitably, Mraz takes the souls he broke through “I Won’t Give Up” and pieces their hearts together as they listen to YES! fully. At 37 and five studio albums under his belt, Mraz holds the key to unlocking the mystery of hope and love, and he does it through music.

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