Listen Up! A Review: Mayer Hawthorne’s “Man About Town”

Funk, soul and much, much more.

Mayer Hawthorne has some serious groove in his latest album. With a start back in 2009, his first album that he produced, “Soul with a Hole, Volume 1,” allowed him to gain traction in the funk world.

Most artists may play an instrument or two, but Hawthorne is a man of many trades. Some of these trades include playing multiple instruments, being a DJ,  audio engendering, singing, songwriting, producing and arranging. He is a busy man to say the least. Combining all these trades, he was nominated for a Grammy in 2014.

Hawthorne’s latest album “Man About Town”, released April 8, 2016, combines all of his soulful vibes from previous albums and powerful beats and funk. For someone who doesn’t tend to fall in love with an album instantly, I have to say this one stole my heart in, well, a heartbeat.

Thanks to the talent of Hawthorne and the powerful lyrics that get stuck in your head, this album gets a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars from me. If you’re new to his music, I would highly recommend “Breakfast in Bed” from “Man about Town” or “Green Eyed Love” from “A Strange Arrangement” which was released in 2009. If you happen to become attached to his music, like I happened to do, he will be performing May 10, 2016 at the Neptune Theater in Seattle, Washington.