Back in June, John Mayer unveiled “Last Train Home“, the lead single off his latest studio album, Sob Rock, which arrived on July 16th via Columbia Records. Today, with a break in Dead & Company‘s fall tour, Mayer unveiled a new, more intimate “ballad version” of the single, along with a music video commemorating the release.

This new music video sees Mayer recording the song at Henson Studios in Hollywood, CA, donning the very same headphones he began wearing on stage with Dead & Company earlier this summer. With a backing band comprised of Lenny Castro, Greg Phillinganes, Sean Hurley, David Ryan Harris, Aaron Sterling, and Don Was at the boards, this ballad version arrives slower and more cordial, nearly doubling the runtime of the original release.

Related: Dead & Company Comes High Stepping Into California With Chula Vista Show [Videos]

After wavy synth washed over the song, Mayer added some vibrato to symphonic leads as he guided the listener to the song’s main riff. He then removed his hand from the fretboard of the very same PRS Silver Sky used in the original video and tenderly sang the opening lines, “If you wanna roll me, then you gotta roll me all night long.” After the second line, he began adding some light plucks on his guitar while also interjecting some lead licks.

This remained the recipe for much of the song, only raising the tempo slightly for the song’s chorus. Noticeably different from the original song, the ballad version saw Mayer take lots of extra time with solos. His guitar seemed to have a bit more bite than the original, with a distinct kick in his distortion. This tone helped the ballad version reach all new heights, as Mayer took nearly the entire second half of the song’s runtime to solo, linking together blistering and more sensual leads, and even adding some vocal lines in place of a synth, as his studio band remained in a steady pocket.

Check out the new John Mayer release, “Last Train Home (Ballad Version)” below.

Mayer will embark on the Sob Rock Tour beginning on February 17th at Albany, NY’s Times Union Center, with tickets and more information available here. Scroll down for a complete list of tour dates.

Additionally, Mayer is currently on tour with Dead & Company, who will finish up the band’s fall tour with a three-night run at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA starting tonight, October 29th. Tickets and more information for that are available here.

John Mayer – “Last Train Home (Ballad Version)” [Official Music Video]

John Mayer Sob Rock Tour 2022 Dates

Thu Feb 17 – Albany, NY – Times Union Center
Fri Feb 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Sun Feb 20 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Wed Feb 23 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
Fri Feb 25 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
Sun Feb 27 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
Tue Mar 01 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena
Fri Mar 04 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Fri Mar 11 – Las Vegas, NV – Grand Garden Arena
Sun Mar 13 – Los Angeles, CA – Forum
Tue Mar 15 – Los Angeles, CA – Forum
Fri Mar 18 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Tue Mar 22 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Fri Mar 25 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Arena
Sun Mar 27 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Sat Apr 02 – Sunrise, FL – BB&T Center
Tue Apr 05 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Fri Apr 08 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Mon Apr 11 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
Wed Apr 13 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Wed Apr 20 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
Sat Apr 23 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Sun Apr 24 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Thu Apr 28 – Chicago, IL – United Center

View Tour Dates

[H/T Rolling Stone]