Review of Battle Studies by John Mayer

I must admit, I'm a big fan of John Mayer's. Our history together (or the history of his music and my life) goes back to playing a high school tennis match in 2003 at Fairfield High School in Connecticut, where Mayer is from, and picturing him running through the halls, thanks to his first single "No Such Thing."

Continuum marked the undisputed peak of Mayer's style up to that point, it spawned numerous number one hits, and was heralded by critics and listeners alike. The question was, how would he follow up such an outstanding release? The answer is within the 11 tracks on Battle Studies, whether you like it or not. Mayer played Battle Studies in its entirety on Sophie 103.7 radio station, along with his commentary and some background on November 9th at 6 PM PST. I'll break it down track by track, in the original order.

"Heartbreak Warfare" opens sounding like a symphony tuning up, and quickly materializes. It chugs along with its atmospheric soundscape and grooving drums, which feel like a slow train carrying the song on top of it. The whole song feels like it's moving along at a steady pace thanks to the drum train and the chugging bass line. The content deals with how explosive relationships can be, with some appropriate battlefield imagery. "If you want more love, why don't you say so?" says that Mayer seems to be the diplomat of the two, as he also suggests that the enemy "lay [their] weapon down."

"All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye" is a sad tune that opens with an innocent, cute melody. This is the story of lovers that can't seem to make a relationship work. Mayer says it's time to move on, because he's tired of getting his heart broken. The song is made up of a charming acoustic guitar strum accompanied by some warm strings while the drums keep time and the other instruments accent this melancholy tune that is sad, but light-hearted at the same time. This may be because Mayer has made up his mind this time, and has accepted his decision to say his final goodbye.

"Half Of My Heart" pays homage to Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, and the likes, but adds a John Mayer twist. It is immediately catchy, which leads me to believe that this will be a single to come from Battle Studies. The guitar melody is very appropriate, and blends well with the backing guitar tracks. Taylor Swift makes an appearance singing backup, and at one point exchanging lines with Mayer. This song discusses that he has shut down half of his heart, and while the other half is functional and in love with the subject of the song, he's not sure that he'll ever be able to open up the other half again. Is that going to be enough for her?

"Who Says" was Mayer's first single, released a couple months before the album release date. It deals with freedom, and the ability to tell people that they have no right to say what you can or can't do. Many people drew an immediate link to "Stop This Train" because the opening chord is exactly the same and the fingerpicking rhythm is so similar, but they're entirely different songs apart from that first chord. Most people get a little sound like that stuck and can't ignore the fact that so many songs sound like so many other songs, but really, is that so bad? In this case, I say no. "Who Says" sounds like that mood at the end of the night reflecting back on the night and your life. The chorus and guitar work are both beautiful.

"Perfectly Lonely" is the stage in Mayer's love life where he doesn't want a companion. "Nothing to do, nowhere to be, a simple little kind of free" shows his optimism about being perfectly happy being perfectly lonely. The groove is tight and will surely make some part of your body move. This is a fun song that has a catchy hook and could make its way onto some radio stations and satellite channels soon.

"Assassin" begins with an interesting-sounding percussion instrument plucking a dark melody. It begins sparse and does a great job portraying the type of imagery associated with the subject matter here. The lyrics are based on Mayer thinking that he's the assassin, but ending up being Brad Pitt's character in "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." This is a darker, more texturally-interesting song, and will be a joy to watch live.

"Crossroads" is the only cover song on "Battle Studies," following in the footsteps of "Continuum," which contained a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Bold As Love." While "Bold As Love" was today's interpretation, with sparkling, clean production and impressive guitar solos, "Crossroads" is, in my opinion, the weak link of "Battle Studies." It's short, less than two and a half minutes, and at the opening, it shows promise, because the guitar riff has a great effect on it. It's not bad, but on a John Mayer album, it seems out of place and more of an afterthought. The guitar solo is good, but the track doesn't make me want to go back and listen to it again.

"War Of My Life" is another mellow track, with a smooth hook, that deals with a tough part of life for Mayer. The mood almost seems too mellow, but maybe this is the stage of the war where he's preparing and being pensive about the battle to come. I could see him taking this song live and changing the entire mood from mellow to intense. It's not one of the strongest tracks, but the lyrics are strong on this one, i.e. "If fear hasn't killed me yet, then nothing will."

"Edge Of Desire" is, as Mayer describes, that middle of the night wantin' song. The guitar line is my favorite part, with it's arpeggiating floating from your speakers around your room and into your ears. This song instills an image of a bed floating under the stars and the vocals soaring through the night, with hope that they'll reach exactly who they're intended for. "Maybe this mattress will spin on its axis, and find me on yours" is classic John Mayer wit.

"Do You Know Me" opens with a strange sounding guitar/ukulele line that's almost Oriental or Middle Eastern, and staggers its notes at the right places in time to make the beat of this song feel ancient and light. The melody is beautiful, and while this isn't a single, it is a song to invoke interesting moods and go back to listen to again and again.

"Friends, Lovers Or Nothing" opens sounding like an old Southern Rock song, a la Lynyrd Skynyrd, but takes a slight shift. The guitar melody is catchy, and it carries over into the vocal melody. This song has nice building and dynamic, which will lend itself very well to live performance. The subject matter here is as the title states, they can be friends, lovers, or nothing. This is a strong song with a solid groove, and a nice way to finish "Battle Studies."

After a full listen through this album, it's tough not to try and compare it to "Continuum," but they're two entirely different entities. "Continuum" had more singles, was more dynamic, and is, without a doubt, a classic. But "Battle Studies" is more of a theme album, and as for whether or not it will remain a classic, only time will tell. "Battle Studies" feels very atmospheric and many of the songs almost float. In my opinion, John Mayer has succeeded with making a different, strong album, that contains a new array of exciting tunes for Mayer fans, along with a couple singles that will surely find their way onto the radio. Go out and buy a copy, or download it, and listen to it in a dark room or with the lights off and headphones on.