All through Oriel Arts Week 2015, we’re providing a daily shot of musical inspiration to set you off to a good start! Make sure you come back daily for your music recommendation & explanation provided by Oriel College Music Society members.

Intelligent and soulful, ‘Neon’ and Mayer’s debut album Room For Squares more generally share a compelling wisdom for contemporary song writing. Listen in as he distils Hendrix-like riffs into modern song-form with economy and grace. Guitar tracks counterpoint with one another in such controlled fashion so as to build evenly and brilliantly towards the refrain.

His vocals are also invigorating, more assimilable to that vintage brand of blue-eyed soul than many of his peers (Jason Mraz, James Morrison) and especially melodic. The textures he creates are at once intimate and spacious. For these many reasons, ‘Neon’ is worth hearing: an excellent example of a sound that is entirely Mayer’s own.

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