Jason Mraz
Halfway Home (singolo)

It's difficult to talk about Jason Mraz with any real understanding. Firstly, he is almost completely unknown in Italy. No matter how much I try to promote and push him, he remains shrouded in mystery, and every time I mention his name, the first response I get is "kikazzè". Secondly, the only CD I own by this artist officially seems not to exist. A copy of a copy from Miami, it's an assembly of various works, all of which are live. Thirdly, even before I knew his name (and tracking down even this simple information wasn't easy), I even thought he was a woman. You know those weird voices that don't seem to belong anywhere (the comparisons that come to mind are Kè and early Tracy Chapman)... when I first listened to "Halfway Home" (the track through which I found the official site), I was struck by the serenity, the intimate atmosphere, as if the set was happening in my room. The entire mix of tracks (about 17) moves in this direction, a compilation of acoustic sets (I later found out that he's released 3 official albums and something like 5 live albums) where Jason addresses the audience directly, speaking and commenting on the songs as if he wanted to establish a closer connection rather than just sitting on a perch with his guitar performing a sterile setlist.

It starts with the sound of drops, which then become waves, and the sounds follow one another smoothly up to track 4, which is "Halfway Home". I was walking alone on the opposite side of the street, pushing everyone else away, thinking it was enough to sit and wait for events, but they won’t come unless I meet them halfway. These are the first words of the lyrics, which Jason himself presents as one of the first songs he wrote and was used by a friend in a film. In fact, on his site, it states that this young American (born in Virginia in '77) spent a long time writing songs for soundtracks before releasing anything independently. Perhaps a songwriter with promising prospects or perhaps already a renowned and successful name in his homeland, who knows… the fact is that on the web, there are countless sites talking about him (in English), and I wonder why his name is practically unknown to everyone in Italy. Perhaps because he offers music that is light years away from the pop clichés and fads prevalent here. Around his intimate music, at times jazzy but always impactful and atmospheric, the screams of fans—which seem to be the measure for judging the success of this or that artist—would not be appropriate. Mraz sings for others, but at times it's as if he's singing for himself, making his songs always unique and always different with each listen. Besides this, I recommend "Absolutely Zero", where Mraz's voice grows verse by verse, starting as usual almost "colloquially" and then revealing itself as increasingly anguished, speaking of a relationship that has reached its end: "but who am I to say this isn't a good situation, it's up to us to make the most of it; we could never have predicted this would happen to me, not so easily... well, now it's up for sale, and you can go ahead and make your offer, I'm selling it for no less than I bought it... absolutely zero... None of us deserves the blame because opportunities have drifted us apart and it's not easy to learn a game created for me and you, the rules remain a mystery".

I wonder if and when someone will notice this particular voice, this music that speaks to the heart with direct and simple words… start discovering it yourselves. All recommendations are welcome.