On Jan. 20, John Mayer released his first album since 2013’s “Paradise Valley.” A Jan. 2 post on Mayer’s official Facebook page announced the release of “The Search for Everything: Wave One,” an EP of the first four songs from his seventh studio album. “The Search for Everything” will continue to be released month-by-month. “The album will be released four songs at a time. Every month. There were too many songs to ever get out the door at once,” the post stated.

“Wave One” is composed of four songs: “Moving On and Getting Over,” “Changing,” “Love on the Weekend” –initially released as a single in November 2016– and “You’re Gonna Live Forever in Me.”

The short album is a departure from the Americana-styled “Paradise Valley,” showing fans that Mayer is an ever-changing musician. Between tracks, “Wave One” changes, from R&B inspired guitar rifts to hauntingly simple piano. Though the tracks differ from one another, the album never loses cohesion. It collectively feels relaxed, with Mayer’s specialty of blues-inspired guitar, but also feels emotionally honest. “Wave One” showcases not only Mayer’s expertise as a guitarist, but also his songwriting abilities, which are too often overlooked.

“The Search for Everything: Wave One” is an experiment in delayed gratification. This release style may be torture for some, but for others is seen as gift that keeps giving every month. One can only anticipate what the next four songs will be like.

Adrianna McCain can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_arts on Twitter.