Tuesday, 01 December 2009 23:47
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I didn’t imagine I’d like JOHN MAYER’s new album, ‘Battle Studies’. ‘Your Body is a Wonderland’ kind of weirded me out, with its bubblegum-pop melody being so at odds with its... well, suggestive lyrical content, and for better or for worse, none of his other tracks even made a blip on my musical radar. That is, until this latest release – and what’s more, I sort of like it. It’s a relaxing and inoffensive listen, and Mayer’s clearly a talented musician, with a grasp on the art of song-writing and what constitutes a memorable melody. This is undeniably refreshing in a day and age when most popular songs are more or less cut-and-pasted together by producers. |
With that in mind, it’s onto the second track, cheerily titled ‘All We Ever Do is Say Goodbye’. Here, Mayer declares, “I love you more than songs can say” – although this doesn’t stop him from giving it a damn good try. Unfortunately, this number drags a little, its lush string arrangement coming across a little melodramatic, especially so early on in the album. ‘Half Of My Heart’, a duet with Taylor Swift, works much better, although this is no thanks to Ms. Swift, whose contribution is minimal (about two lines’ worth, to be specific). It’s a thought-provoking account of a man who believes he can’t love one person entirely (“You will hate that I never gave more to you than half of my heart”).
First single ‘Who Says’ is just as good. It’s a delicate guitar arpeggio in which Mayer defends his rights to do simply as he pleases, by way of the inflammatory lyric; “Who says I can’t get stoned?” (as my sister exclaimed, outraged, to the unhearing radio: “The law, John! The law!”). It’s also one of the few tracks (‘Do You Know Me’ and ‘Assassin’, also) that showcases Mayer’s skill on the guitar beyond a short riff or solo; you wouldn’t know that he’s been dubbed one of the best contemporary guitarists alive today, and it’s something of a shame he doesn’t do more to justify the title.
Overall, ‘Battle Studies’ is much more of a hit, than it is a miss, and that’s quite something for an artist with as prolific an output as Mayer (four studio albums, three live albums, two EPs, twelve singles and two video albums). ‘All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye’ and his vapid cover of Robert Johnson/Cream’s ‘Crossroads’ aside, the rest of the tracks are well-crafted, and enjoyable to listen to. There’s something very relaxing and contemplative about Mayer’s voice, which makes ‘Battle Studies’ the perfect accompaniment to insomnia or lovesickness. It might not be the most groundbreaking release of the year, but not everything needs to be clever or quirky – sometimes, it’s enough for an album to be comprised of good songs that are relatable and meaningful, and this is what ‘Battle Studies’ most certainly is.