Send "Mayer Hawthorne " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Slantmagazin |
 While there are plenty of reasons to question his sincerity (considering that he first began recording his soul sides as a slightly ironic for-friends-and-family-only diversion when not working as a DJ and producer for Athletic Mic League and Now One), there's no denying that Mayer Hawthorne, the chosen moniker of Ann Arbor's Andrew Cohen, knows his way around the conventions of vintage R&B songs and production styles. And on his debut, A Strange Arrangement, Hawthorne crafts a retro groove that's never less than convincing. With his refreshingly light hand in producing the record, Hawthorne gives his slinky rhythm sections, piano licks, and occasional brass flourishes room to breathe. It's all the more impressive that they're his instrumental breaks, since Hawthorne performed the majority of the instruments on the record. His songwriting shows an equally impressive ear for the subtleties of vintage R&B, focusing on straightforward narratives that alternate between love-gone-wrong and wide-eyed optimism. The result is that cuts like "Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'," "One Track Mind," and "Let Me Know" sound like they were just dusted off from the vaults at Motown and Stax....full text |
| Skiddle |
| Peanut Butter Wolf’s ‘Stones Throw’ label brings us its latest signing, Mayer Hawthorne, and according to his press release, he’s ‘the new school soul sensation who has taken the Motown assembly-line production model and eliminated every element but himself and a few hired hands’, and, apparently, ‘It’s not just throwback music anymore – this revival is all about progression’. That all just sounds like meaningless, advertising speak to me, as, Mayer Hawthorne, if we’re going to be blunt about it, has created nothing more than a throwback album, desperate to emulate the glorious sounds of Berry Gordy’s legendary label. A more cynical mind would think it’s, financially, a good move to sign up white, 60’s influenced, soul singers in the wake of successes from the like of Amy Whinehouse and Duffy....full text |
| Atlanta |
| There's much hoopla over Mayer Hawthorne getting signed to Stones Throw Records on the strength of two songs. From the retro-soul sound of Hawthorne's debut, the blue-eyed soulster from Detroit must have succeeded on his lyricism, because the voice just isn't there. A thin natural and blender falsetto that's part Smokey Robinson, part Curtis Mayfield and too much talent show crooner, Hawthorne mistakes vulnerability for soul. His songwriting, however, and the band's soft funk playing elevate the set. "Maybe So, Maybe No" goes from a gauzy "Wake Up Everybody" opener to a swinging, complex doo-wop extravaganza that never once sacrifices melody for band pyrotechnics. The title track is a loving massage boasting Hawthorne's best performance. These tunes are just slightly more soulful than the pop ditties that made the Rascals, the Association, and the Lovin' Spoonful '60s favorites. What's strange is how often you find yourself pressing repeat. (Stones Throw) 4 stars out of 5...full text |
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