Jason Mraz's breakthrough 2002 hit, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" established him as a funnier, funkier version of John Mayer, custom-built for The O.C. set. On Mr. A-Z, the Virginia singer-songwriter continues mixing up folk melodies and hip-hop beats. He also keeps making heroic stabs at humor that would have gone down like a storm in his coffeehouse days but typically backfire on record. Fortunately, producer Steve Lillywhite (U2, Dave Matthews Band, Peter Gabriel) is on hand to clean things up, giving even the most bumbling lyrical experiments, such as "Wordplay" and "Geek in the Pink," at least the illusion of a newfound maturity. --Aidin Vaziri

Jason Mraz presents his latest offering and his second studio album-Mr. A-Z. Produced by the legendary Steve Lillywhite (U2, Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, et al) at Allaire Studios near Woodstock, NY, Mr. A-Z is Mraz's most inspired and thoughtful record to date.

Japanese pressing of 2005 album with the bonus track 'Prettiest Friend' (Demo) & DVD (NTSC/Region 2). Atalntic. *Please note you will need an All Code DVD player to view. 2006.

Play Bella Luna and see how fast your significant other gets in the mood. It worked for me! (The rest of the CD is fantastic as well.)

For his sophmoric album, Jason Mraz shines and shows that he is no one hit wonder. The familiar song "Wordplay" will keep you singing. His diversity in the CD allows people who like a variety to respect the musical talent of Jason Mraz. The first 4 song I constantly have on repeat. Jason Mraz is not a new comer, but for people who have heard "I'm Yours", you will not be disappointed with Jason Mraz's earlier works.

what an incredible talent. A voice sweet as Karen Carpenter and a range of the gods. The entire album is smart, upbeat and clearly one of the most talented vocalists of my time. Jason will go down in time as a true artist.
Mobvalley

Its such a shame that an artist with as much talent and promise as Jason Mraz put out such a terrible follow up album. I have been listening to and following the career of Mraz far before the release of Waiting for my Rocket, and Mr. Az belongs alongside Hansen albums at the pawn shops waiting for some poor schmuck to buy. The songs fall short of anything substantive and the music is over produced under thought schlock for those girls who used to rock out to New Kids on the Block in their headphones. Overall I wish that I could give zero stars for the utter disappointment and waste of talent, I really hope that he can do a follow up album that showcases his talents and true ability.

I won't say that I credit in full my love for Jason Mraz to American Idol but I must admit that it was that show that introduced me to this guy and ever since I have been smitten with just about everything he's released. Upon hearing the spunky `Geek in the Pink' performed live I was instantly hooked onto Jason's brand of pop/rock and had to search out the original version for myself. Upon hearing it I was convinced that this guy had something special, and this album proves that to be true.

Jason Mraz is like a younger John Mayer. I don't mean that in that he is literally `younger', Mayer is quite young himself, but what I mean is that Jason Mraz has a younger sound. They both tackle the pop/rock side of the music industry, but Mraz is less mature than Mayer and thus cultivates a sound all his own. Sure, there are similarities, but he is far from a carbon copy.

`Mr. A-Z' opens with `Life is Wonderful' which gives us a subtle glimpse at what Mraz is all about. It's a simple song that couples Mraz with an acoustic guitar and some clever rhymes. `Clockwatching' follows a similar formula, as does the closing `Song for a Friend'. They are good tracks, but they are not Mraz at his strongest. `Please Don't Tell Her' kicks up this side of Mraz a bit and proves to be a splendid example of his strengths. It's soft and gentle yet it's memorable and stylish. The song draws comparisons to Dashboard Confessional and even Yellowcard.

`Wordplay' somewhat says it all; Jason Mraz is all about the wordplay. He spits fire amidst a backdrop of well constructed guitars and drumbeats. It's a fun song and brilliantly exposes Mraz's ultimate strengths. Even more fun is the funky hip-hop influenced `Geek in the Pink' mentioned earlier. This is probably one of the most memorable tracks on that album mainly because it sticks out like a green thumb. Mraz's rhymes are slick and his delivery is elegant and graceful.

Some of the strongest tracks on `Mr. A-Z' come from a completely different direction though. Just listen to the phenomenally done `Did You Get My Message', a song that is so rich with its old school flare that it becomes one of the most rewarding musical experiences one could wish for. Listen to `Bella Luna' and tell me Jason Mraz is not the real deal. The guitars are so inviting, the mood so graceful and enchanting. The track is such a beautiful departure from what one might expect to receive from Jason that you are spellbound by its uniqueness. Then there is `Plane' which is probably my favorite track here. It's such a melancholy track yet masterfully constructed and executed to the point that one can't help but become entranced. Mraz's voice truly shines here. It was one of the points on the album where I realized he has an outstanding voice.

`Mr. Curiosity' sounds like a Beatles song to me. It's decent but a tad on the corny side. `Forecast' resembles Ben Folds Five to me. It's decent but nothing truly memorable. `O. Lover' is the complete opposite. It actually proves to be one of my favorite tracks on the album, a song that gives Mraz a chance to slide effortlessly in the mode of confident chick-magnet. The beat is infectious and Mraz's vocals are silky smooth.

Sure, `Mr. A-Z' is not perfect. It could use some fine-tuning, but there is no denying that this young talent has the chops to carry him the distance. He's only going to grow, I can feel it, and with this extensive a musical repertoire I see some grand things in his future.