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Mayer’s eclectic musicianship almost makes up for pensive poetry
Battle Studies marks the fourth release for John Mayer, who enters an arena of high-riding hopes after the soul-spilling Contiuum that graduated him to the lofty ranks of someone who could shred a six-string alongside B.B. King or Eric Clapton. Mayer’s albums were maturing one after the other, combining electric blues and clever songwriting, but he takes a few steps back with the lovelorn Battle Studies, a superficial meditation on the jagged down-slope of a relationship—the romantic blitzkrieg that recalls, among other genres, his early acoustic sound on Room for Squares.
With “Heartbreak Warfare,” Mayer opens the record as a solder in the frontlines of a calamitous affair, and while the motif is picturesque, it soon becomes exhausted and scattered in sappy, temperamental songs, pining in the cyclic chants of “All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye,” tip-toeing through the “Assassin” sleuth story and swelling to an emotional blowout in “War of My Life,” which summons angels and ghosts to duel in the unseen struggles of the heart.
This doesn’t mean Mayer can’t still wield a guitar like a fifth limb, fashion catchy hooks or howl a quivering, feel-good falsetto. Lyrical brooding aside, the music stirs everything from subtle country twangs in the Taylor Swift-accompanied “Half of My Heart,” to deep gospel funk in “Crossroads.” And the spry string plucks and chugging percussion in “Who Says” are warm enough to sell the idea of sitting at home, stoned in solitude.
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I'd be interested to hear how many times you listened to this album. I think it takes at least a solid five listens to get a full appreciation for what's happening between the lines. Although, since you think it's superficial I guess there's not much for you to see between the lines.
His lengthy interview that's available on the Deluxe edition on iTunes offers great insight into the motivations behind the album. Based on your observations it doesn't seem as if you did much research. This would probably be a good start.
"Assassin," is, in my opinion, one of the best songs on the album. I don't think its fair to say that he was "tip-toeing" through it. It fits well in the theme of the album and it's going to be awesome when he opens it up on tour. I'm not sure if we were listening to the same song. You apparently, were listening to a song called, "Assassins."
For the record, "Crossroads," is one of two covers on the album. Might have been worth mentioning the other, "I'm on fire". I thought it was a great take on a classic Bruce Springsteen track.
Hey Joe...
I thought you had a great argument, man until you talked about the reviewer forgetting to mention "I'm On Fire" which isn't on the album. I don't know what's on this itunes special edition but itunes exclusives are not what is referred to when a critic or reviewer examines an album.
Sounds like John and his producers have figured out what sells really well and sort of mailed it in on this one. I listened to the album a couple of times and really just think its a lazy effort. Maybe that is the point, get back to basics. Yet the lyrics don't add up to anything and the music is lackluster...I miss his guitar too often.
It sure is hard to follow up on an album like Continuum. Given his amazing performace on "Where the Light Is" this seems like a passing effort. There are some good tracks in it, and maybe they are worth getting thanks to the new freedom in music purchasing. I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5. Hopefully the next album will bring us back.
I think its an incredibly self-indulgent album, and I would agree that it seems a little lazy considering what he's done in the past.
I'm a huge John Mayer show, have all his albums, seen him live and I think he is one of the most talented artists around, but this album was just sloppy and pretty melodramatic...
If he churns out another album like this, he's going up on the "that's enough" shelf with Nickelback and Shakira....