John Mayer's Headscarf Holds Magical Powers

Note to any artist looking to make a comeback: throw on a headscarf and all will be forgiven. It worked for John Mayer on Letterman , and it can work for you, too. Today, Mayer's sixth studio album Paradise Valley hits stores both real and virtual and on Monday, he went on the venerable late night show to perform his single "Wildfire", and whoa — hello rekindled John Mayer love-affair — the song is good.

It's a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll, but not in the awful Donnie & Marie way, either. It's fucking sunny. It's like Leftover Salmon mated with Jason Mraz and spent their baby spent its summers growing up with an uncle who only listened to Jimmy Hendrix and gospel. It's California cool meets Wyoming line-dancing, and it works.

This is the second time we've been happily surprised by a new Mayer track off Paradise Valley — his leaked track with Katy Perry called "Who You Love" is a sweet melody with a catchy refrain. After one listen, it was stuck in our heads, and we weren't even mad about it.

Mayer's sold over 20 million albums and has won multiple Grammys — it's time something like Paradise Valley come along and renew his Mayership in the music scene. We'll see how this album does during its first week on the market, but something tells us it won't have any problem grabbing an audience.

Mayer's time away in Montana and his relationship with Perry seem to have melted nicely into a country-pop album that will sing us out of summer and into fall. And hey, if Britney Spears is paying attention, maybe she'll wanna get in on the headscarf game for her new musical venture, too. Can't hurt to try.

Listen to "Wildfire":