Free Press

Issue date: 11/30/09 Section: Arts and Entertainment

Everybody knows John Mayer’s 2001 bubblegum sex-pop ditty, “Your Body is a Wonderland” and its endearing combination of quiet guitar strumming and sweetly graphic lyrics.

Somewhat less well-known is that Mayer may be one of the best guitarists alive today.  He’s won every major music award (including 13 Grammys) and jammed with blues and jazz giants like Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King and John Scofield.  He was even named one of the “New Guitar Gods” by Rolling Stone in 2007, placing him alongside Derek Trucks of the Allman Brothers and John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  

His fourth solo album “Battle Studies,” which came out two weeks ago, isn’t as good as some of his earlier work, but it still delivers 45 great minutes of music. Personally, I hadn’t been so excited to pick up a record since Dave Matthews Band released Big Whiskey & The GrooGrux King this past summer.  After practically running out of Bull Moose with “Battle Studies” in my hand, I immediately threw it in my car’s CD player and began my listen.

It opens with an epic, slightly over-produced song “Heartbreak Warfare” which I feel is one of Mayer’s best.  Lyrically it’s quite simple, but the U2 style lead guitar riff hits you like a breath of fresh air.  He vividly describes the physicality of heartbreak: “Clouds of sulfur in the air, bombs are falling everywhere. It’s heartbreak warfare. Once you want it to begin, no one really ever wins, in heartbreak warfare.”

He misses in the next track “All We Ever Do is Say Goodbye” where he attempts to create a ballad in the style of Maine-based folk-singer Ray Lamontagne and fails. Although it’s probably his weakest effort on the album, I can’t seem to keep it from repeating sporadically in my head.

The next four tracks are some of his strongest songs to date.  “Half of My Heart” is the first song he wrote for the album and it’s probably the catchiest.  Taylor Swift briefly accompanies him toward the end of the song, but I would hardly call it a duet as she only sings for about six seconds. (When it comes to Taylor Swift, however, even six seconds is six seconds too long.) “Who Says” quietly holds its own as the album’s first single.  Although people initially think this song is about extensive drug use, anyone struggling to make sense of their past can relate to the lyrics: “Who says I can’t be free, of all of the things that I used to be? Rewrite my history, who says I can’t be free?”  Next comes “Perfectly Lonely” and “Assassin,” which are totally impressive and totally different from each other.

Then Mayer makes his second mistake on the album.  He attempts to cover a Cream classic, “Crossroads.”  I’ve seen him play this song live with Eric Clapton and it was stellar.  But the “Battle Studies” version is terrible.  It’s got about as much emotion as Ben Stein.  It simply just doesn’t fit on this album.

He concludes the record with another streak of four solid songs, starting with “War of My Life” and “Edge of Desire,” which are two of my new favorites. Next is a short acoustic track called “Do You Know Me” which doesn’t really help or hurt the album.  He ends with the six-minute long “Friends, Lovers, or Nothing.”

All in all I’m very pleased with “Battle Studies.”  Yes, his reoccurring theme of love and heartbreak can get a bit repetitive, but I really think this is one of his best.  Is it as good as his last record, “Continuum”?  Honestly, I don’t think it is.  But I’m sure it will grow on me just like all his other albums did.  However, if you want to start listening to John Mayer, don’t start with this album.  Start with the first one, “Room for Squares,” or the album “TRY!” from his heavier and bluesier side project, the John Mayer Trio.

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