We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things

• Artist: Jason Mraz
• Rating:
• Release Date: May 13, 2008
• Type: Enhanced CD-ROM
• Genre: Rock

Review

Obsessed with carnality as he is, it was only a matter of time before Jason Mraz realized that it's better to sound sexy than to blather about it incessantly. This monumental moment arrives on his third album, We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things, easily his sleekest collection of sounds and his only album to contain a suggestion of seduction within its grooves. Actually, We Sing is Mraz's only album to actually groove, as he sets down his acoustic guitar for much of the album and rides along on smooth rhythms partially indebted to '80s blue-eyed soul by Hall & Oates and Steve Winwood -- in that sense, the album recalls John Mayer's Continuum -- but he relies more heavily on Thriller, mixing it up with some modern neo-soul that gives this a surprisingly soulful sound. Mraz can glide on these surfaces, leaning on the gentle art of insinuation instead of goosing his paramour, but old habits die hard: it's only a matter of time before he punctures the seduction by scatting sophomorically, slipping in juvenile come-ons ("You make my slacks tight"), or stuttering manic syncopations on "The Dynamo of Volition." Mraz is also prone to terminal cuteness, drafting in a kids chorus to close out the coda of "Coyotes" and mewling out phrases like "always a goody doer," and while these are often so close-miked and forthright they're hard to ignore, they're also just not as prevalent as they were on the icky Mr. A-Z. Also, they're cleverly camouflaged beneath that gossamer gloss, typified by the quite catchy "Butterfly," whose Quincy Jones-styled horns disguise his mildly queasy oral sex puns. Mraz's lyrics don't stand up to such close scrutiny -- something the McCartney-esque, perhaps autobiographical divorce ballad "Love for a Child" ("Was it my mom who put dad out on his ass/Or the other way around") makes plain -- but the nice thing about the soulful shimmer of We Sing is that it's so slick that it's easy to ignore the gibberish spilling out of Mraz's mouth and just enjoy the sunny, easy sound. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Make It Mine (Lyrics)	Jason Mraz	Jason Mraz	(3:08)
I'm Yours (Lyrics)	Jason Mraz	Jason Mraz	(4:02)
Lucky (Lyrics)	Colbie Caillat, Jason Mraz	Colbie Caillat, Jason Mraz	(3:09)
Butterfly (Lyrics)	Jason Mraz	Jason Mraz	(5:00)
Live High (Lyrics)	Jason Mraz	Jason Mraz	(4:12)
Love for a Child (Lyrics)	Martin Terefe, Sacha Skarbek, Jason Mraz	Jason Mraz	(4:05)
Details in the Fabric (Lyrics)	Jason Mraz, Dan Wilson	James Morrison, Jason Mraz	(5:45)
Coyotes (Lyrics)	Jason Mraz	Jason Mraz	(3:38)
Only Human (Lyrics)	Sacha Skarbek, Jason Mraz	Jason Mraz	(4:02)
The Dynamo of Volition	Jason Mraz	Jason Mraz	(3:36)
If It Kills Me (Lyrics)	Jason Mraz, Sacha Skarbek, Martin Terefe	Jason Mraz	(4:33)
A Beautiful Mess	Becky Gebhardt, Jason Mraz, Mona Tavakoli	Jason Mraz	(8:09)
[CD-ROM Track]		Jason Mraz

Credits

Jason Mraz (Vocals), Tia Terefe (Choir, Chorus), Kristin Wilkinson (Viola), Thomas Picard (Choir, Chorus), Rebecca Lacey (Choir, Chorus), John Catchings (Cello), Julia Cailleteau (Choir, Chorus), Teymor Gray (Choir, Chorus), Carlos Sosa (Sax (Tenor)), Martin Terefe (Bass), Jason Mraz (Horn Engineer), David Davidson (String Arrangements), Bill Silva (Management), Zatac Sylwia (Choir, Chorus), Andreas Olsson (Editing), Sacha Skarbek (Piano), David Davidson (Violin), Kieran McGuinness (Choir, Chorus), Baeho Bobby Shin (String Engineer), Connie Corn (Choir, Chorus), Chirell Warren (Choir, Chorus), Tricia Huffman (Vocals (Background)), Pete Ibsen (Choir, Chorus), Justin Kirk (Trombone), Lauren DeRose (Vocals (Background)), Martin Terefe (Piano), Fernie "Maddog" Castillo (Performer), Fernie "Maddog" Castillo (Flugelhorn), Noah Terefe (Choir, Chorus), Tanya Murphy (Choir, Chorus), Kiera Zekra (Choir, Chorus), Savanna Electra Sparkes (Choir, Chorus), David Angell (Violin), Greg Gigendad Burke (Art Direction), Luke Potashnick (Guitar), Jon Hall (Choir, Chorus), Jason Mraz (Guitar), Martin Terefe (Choir, Chorus), MC Flow (Vocals (Background)), Colbie Caillat (Vocals), Tanya Tolver (Choir, Chorus), Martin Terefe (Guitar), Rita Ora (Choir, Chorus), Dane Venable (Product Manager), Iain Hill (Engineer), Andreas Olsson (Programming), Greg Gigendad Burke (Design), Xoreal Harrison (Choir, Chorus), Aaron Leibowitz (Saxophone), Fernie "Maddog" Castillo (Trumpet), Karl Brazil (Drums), David Shrigley (Illustrations), Bill Zelman (Photography), Millet Oliver (Choir, Chorus), Carlos Sosa (Sax (Baritone)), David Angel (Violin), Dyre Gormsen (Engineer), Tony Maserati (Mixing), Kristoffer Sonne (Drums), Jason Mraz (Vocal Engineer), Carlos Sosa (Flute), Keith Nichols (Cello), Voices of Prayze (Choir, Chorus), Sam Riback (A&R), Benjamin Adamson (Trumpet), Martin Terefe (Producer), Chris Gehringer (Mastering), Carlos Sosa (Performer), Chris Stang (Product Manager), Sofia Loopuit (Choir, Chorus), Iain Hill (Assistant), Jason Mraz (Engineer)