Splashing onto the scene in 2009, Mayer Hawthorne eagerly shared their 50’s soul throwback tunes with whoever would listen, opening for acts such as Passion Pit and appearing in short films with Kayne West. Andrew Mayer Cohen is clearly at the heart of the creative process, and his crooning and swaying has his audience smiling, filled with an insatiable desire to return to the romantic melodies of yesterday. The band’s latest effort “How Do You Do” is no exception. It’s the same formula, but with new contributors and a refreshingly varied collection of sing-and-bop-alongs.
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All twelve tracks breeze past as Cohen glides from heart-break ballads to upbeat love notes, all the while challenging the limits of his falsetto-to-”oooo” ratio. His heavily borrowed lyrics, rhythms, and themes are shamelessly implemented with modern stylings. He’s a bit more liberal with his cursing, and a bit more forward with his come-ons, but the flavor and authenticity of the first LP remains. “Get To Know You” starts with the familiar walking bass line, then Cohen does his sly Boyz II Men intro talk and swiftly drops in the hook. The album continues with endless dug-up cliches and extremely indulgent echo-backs.
“How Do You Do” is sure to churn out some infectiously catchy hits. Tunes like “Hooked” and “Stick Around” will have listeners snapping their fingers and tapping toes for days. Surprisingly, Cohen seems to be the only artist today cashing in on this sonic goldmine, though he does it with careful attention and style. If this sounds like your thing, Mayer Hawthorne definitely belongs in your collection, cuddled up to the rest of your Marvin Gaye records.
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