Parents need to know that these songs are a "must" for aspiring young poets. John Mayer's visual storytelling and fine musicianship are well worth a second (and third, and fourth) listen.
Positive messages:There are gently positive messages throughout this CD.
Violence:The artist's only conflicts seem to be with himself.
Sex:There is no explicit sexuality; there's one song of sweet post-argument longing, called "Come Back to Bed."
I got the DualDisc edition and I was HOOKED on it! Mayer's vocals are beautiful and the album's awesome. There's no profanity besides a couple of "d*mn"s on "Bigger Than My Body". Otherwise it's gorgeous poetry.
Heavier Things is a pretty good album. It isn't, however, a kids album. There really isn't anything wrong with it, but I don't think the slow balads and vintage guitar solos could hold a kids attention for more than five minutes. But if you're a mellow, poem-writing teenager, this one is for you.