POP-ROCK
Jason Mraz
"Mr. A-Z." Atlantic. 12 tracks.
Grade: B

He never travels very far outside his comfort zone, but give Virginian Jason Mraz credit for making an effort to expand his sound.

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Jason Mraz – 'Mr. A-Z'
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The only problem with "Mr. A-Z" is a sparkly sheen (courtesy of U2 producer Steve Lillywhite) that may alienate fans that gravitated toward the airy folkiness of his full-length debut, "Waiting for My Rocket to Come." It shouldn't matter, though, because he wrestles the pop demon to a draw with confidence and humor.

The sensitive, sweet-voiced singer-songwriter model has been done to death lately (John Mayer, Howie Day, etc.), but Mraz already had a couple of distinctive traits in place on his debut. And his speedy, rap-informed lyrical delivery, which gets a self-deprecating tweak in "Wordplay," is still on frequent display.

It's his tainted-angel tenor that really makes Mraz special, though, so the sparest moments are where he really shines. The piano-and-vocal "Mr. Curiosity," the opening section of lead track "Life Is Wonderful" and the feather-light samba of "Bella Luna" are swoonworthy simply because of Mraz's voice.

"The sophomore slump is an uphill battle," Mraz sings in "Wordplay." There may be a few rocks littering the trail, but he's definitely standing at the top of that particular ridge.

— Shane Harrison