John Mayer - Wildfire

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I am a big John Mayer fan. I have loved his music since his old blues albums. When I first heard he was coming out with a country album, I did not know what to say. I'm not against country or anything, but this was the last thing I expected from a blues artist. I was mostly hesitant because I wasn't sure he could pull it off. Yet sure enough, when I heard that first song "Queen of California" on his new album Born and Raised, I was immediately a fan of this new style. It was not necessarily country, but more like a modern, folk music style with hints of country and lots of guitar strumming and harmonicas. It was a masterpiece! The next album, Paradise Valley, was just as good, if not better.

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In 2015, I visited Sedona, Arizona for the first time. I was amazed by what I saw. The desert environment was unlike anything I had ever seen. A vast scene of arid rocks and large mountains of red sandstone painted the horizon. I will never forget those incredible views. When I traveled to Pheonix, the scenery was not as impressive, but the landscape was still so unique. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to horseback ride in that environment and visit a western-themed town. That Arizona trip was really special to me, and the two albums I listened to the entire time were Paradise Valley and Born and Raised. Adding John Mayer's wonderful folk music to the mix made the experience all the more magical. Now whenever I listen to the two albums, I can't help but be mentally transported to that arid red landscape under those crisp blue western skies. Below I've placed two of my favorite pictures I took while on that trip.

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As I've explained before, I associate country and folk music with the fall, so these two albums are just some of the many that put me in the autumn mood. "Wildfire" is especially my favorite for its happy, upbeat tempo that leads the whole song. I can't help but tap my foot or clap along to that catchy rhythm and tempo. If you listen closely, the song actually has claps and taps recorded in the background, so maybe that explains why it's so hard to resist the beat. The electric guitar playing the main melody is very classic country. It stands out a lot and helps keep the melody in your head the rest of the day. Whenever the first day of fall comes around each year, I really love to kick off the season with this song. I hope it also brings you joy as you prepare for the season of autumn! Happy fall to you all :)

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