John Mayer - Battle Studies Review

Posted by Daniel Wilcox on 11.26.2009

John Mayer's Battle Studies currently sits atop the Billboard 200 but is it deserving of its success?



John Mayer - Battle Studies
Review by Daniel Wilcox

Track listing:
1. Heartbreak Warfare
2. All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye
3. Half of My Heart [feat. Taylor Swift]
4. Who Says
5. Perfect Lonely
6. Assassin
7. Croassroads
8. War of My Life
9. Edge of Desire
10. Do You Know Me
11. Friends, Lovers or Nothing

I was first introduced to John Mayer when he played the guitar solo on Fall Out Boy’s version of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” I was not so much impressed as intrigued by the guy, so I decided to check out a couple of his previous albums and they weren’t quite what I expected, but they were decent little pop rock records nonetheless. Battle Studies then, is Mayer’s fourth studio album and currently sits atop the Billboard 200. Clearly this guy has his fans, and deservedly so.

Of course, there’s a lot not to like about Mayer at the same time. His celebrity status doesn’t really seem to match his talents and probably has more to do with the fact that he gets around actual celebrity starlets like nobody’s business. But then celebrity status has never been a direct indication of talent, has it? Mayer seems to take it all in his stride though, and let’s his music do the talking, as is certainly the case with Battle Studies.

Battles Studies is an accomplished if unspectacular lesson in pop-rock classicism. Mayer teams up with Taylor Swift, who seems to be everywhere right now, for the record’s most accomplished track in “Half of My Heart.” It’s a tongue-in-cheek folk pop ballad that’s interesting enough to live long in the memory and pretty enough to not be too pretentious. “Who Says” is an even great folk pop take that pleas for freedom, freedom to smoke dope and live life. Mayer’s tongue is once again placed firmly in cheek and it’s such occasions when his star seems to shine brightest as it at least shows that Mayer doesn’t take himself too seriously.

Mayer himself describes the record as a handbook in heartbreak, and that is evident in numerous of the album’s eleven tracks. “Heartbreak Warfare” tugs incessantly at the heartstrings yet the hyperbole of “All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye” is forgettable and ultimately lifeless.

Mayer’s best guitar work though, come in the aforementioned “Heartbreak Warfare” and album-closer “Friends, Lovers or Nothing.” Both still carry an unmistakable pop swagger that could make them both big hits in the future. Elsewhere there’s a bluesy cover of Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads” that honestly does the original justice and is probably aided or even improved upon as a result of Mayer’s classy vocal work.

At times though Mayer’s music comes across as too pretentious and forced. This is the case when Mayer makes his most ludicrous attempts to use war as a representation of love in tracks like “Assassin” and “War of My Life” where the lyrics are clearly trying to hard to be deep and end up just coming off as trite. These moments are few and far between though and as a result the album as a whole is a pretty cocktail of blues and pop that showcases Mayer at his best and most intriguing. A few minor missteps here and there are inevitable but all in Battle Studies is a very enjoyable listen.

Essential downloads: “Heartbreak Warfare,” “Half of My Heart,” “Who Says,” “Crossroads” and “Friends, Lovers or Nothing.”

The 411: I was pleasantly surprised by the talents of John Mayer when I first heard him, and I continue to be impressed by his work. By no means is it the greatest music you'll ever hear but at the same time its strikingly beautiful and crisp and that is represented clearly on Battle Studies, a pleasant record with numerous great tracks. Battle Studies is definitely worth a listen for fans of bluesy pop-rock or similar genres.

Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]