Reviews

Mayer Hawthorne

‘How Do You Do’, Mayer Hawthorne’s second full-length album, is one that follows on seamlessly from his last release in 2009. Mimicking the Motown sound and taking cues from those that birthed soul, funk, and R&B like Curtis Mayfield and Smokey Robinson, Hawthorne continues to carry ‘60s and ‘70s soul well into 2011. At a time when technology can’t seem to keep up with itself, Hawthorne takes us way back, pre-iPhone 4S days, when you actually had to arrive at a person’s home, school, or work, just perchance to catch and talk to them.

This is ultimately an album about love: the new, unrequited, and lost. Quickly evidenced by the first track ‘Get To Know You’, Hawthorne’s inner Barry White emerges with a sultry voice, a ‘70s sounding slow jam that speaks of a chance meeting that Hawthorne wants to extend further than one night. The following track, ‘A Long Time’, very closely shares the same tempo and melody as The Isley Brothers’ ‘Who’s That Lady’, yet manages to bear that Hawthorne stamp, setting it apart. For much of the rest of the album, from ‘Dreaming’ to ‘You Called Me’, the ‘60s are especially channeled and feature a brass-heavy sound, dripping with strong yet playful, cheeky, and sweet ballads – including the call and response element made prevalent in Motown’s heyday.

There isn’t anything necessarily innovative or challenging that Hawthorne generates. Though, he does successfully revive the kind of ‘baby-making music’ and upbeat soulful ditties that our parents once knew, and returns it to an arguably lost and musically challenged generation.

Hawthorne’s music taps into the nostalgia of what we understand to be simpler times, and is what people seek during an unsteady present with a further unknown future. His contemporary rendition of classic soul, funk, and R&B creates a refuge for listeners who want a familiar sound, one that even generations past can recognize and appreciate. He also further shows in his latest full-length that a white guy from the Midwest, who was barely conceived and born in 1979, can still expertly execute an era’s sound and attitude before his own time. ‘How Do You Do’ appeals to old and young souls alike, and one definitely appropriate for taking a whirl during your next proverbial Sunday drive.

Words: Karen Tran

‘How Do You Do’ is out now on Island Records. Check out the video for the album’s lead single ‘The Walk’ below.