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
I think the reviewer puts in a lot of his own perspective but he does speak truth. The cliche part especially. I mean, look at all of his song titles. Most of them are maxims or just plain and unoriginal. Although, I do think that this is the one album by Mraz that I think I like. Not that I'm a fan, haha.
Waiting for My Rocket to Come is Mraz at his best--totally laying it out there, with a great range of melodies. The music is tight, supporting fine tunes and lyrics. I cannot stop tapping my feet...
Most reviews I've read about Mraz completely bash him, his writing, and his talent. Thank you, Jesse Jarnow, for remaining honest. Your critism is light and constructive and you refer only to the music on the album instead of Mraz himself. This was a nice break from the heavier, meaner reviews. Thank you for that.