Mayer's 'Battle' a bloodbath
by Bryan Flatt
Arts | 11/24/09
Posted online at 11:34 PM EST on 11/23/09
John Mayer's Battle Studies, an album just over three years in the making, is one of the most anticipated releases of the year. His previous album, Continuum (2006), solidified his place in a group of elite guitar greats like Eric Clapton. With his soft rock voice and skillful licks, he created an album filled with singles from "Waiting on the World to Change" to "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room."
If Continuum was another step forward in Mayer's musical style, Battle Studies is a step to the side. In this album, he takes a different journey moving toward very personal, softer ballads away from singles. With songs titled "Heartbreak Warfare," "Perfectly Lonely" and "War of my Life," it is obvious this album was as much about making music as it was about self-therapy in an emotionally difficult time.
The first track, "Heartbreak Warfare," sets the mood for the rest of the album. A mellow John Mayer sings over an ambient guitar and basic drum beat stating, "Lightning strike inside my chest to keep me up at night / Dream of ways to make you understand my pain." Even the solo of the song feels very emotional, with the twang of the guitar embodying his pain. As the song progresses to the bridge the mood picks up, showing a sense of perseverance as Mayer proclaims, "I swear to God we are going to get this right if you lay your weapon down." Mayer is clearly putting down his shields and opening up, taking the listener through the emotional uphill battle he has gone through.
The rest of the album generally follows through with the idea of heartbreak, destruction and the pain of moving on. Whatever prompted Mayer to sing about this emotional pain clearly had a great influence on him for better or worse. The tone of over half the album is slower, more mellow and more reflective than anything Mayer has ever done. Though they constitute a majority, the album is not all ballads. In a testament to his growth as a musician, the middle few songs on the album are much stronger musically. In the middle of the album, Mayer goes back to the more laid-back and fun style that listeners are used to and focuses on moving on rather than dwelling upon being hurt. The songs that really stand out are "Perfectly Lonely," a bluesy tune showing Mayer's musical and lyrical growth; "Half of My Heart," which features Taylor Swift in a lackluster appearance not fully using her talent; and "Crossroads," a cover of the blues standard made famous by Eric Clapton's band Cream.
If Continuum was another step forward in Mayer's musical style, Battle Studies is a step to the side. In this album, he takes a different journey moving toward very personal, softer ballads away from singles. With songs titled "Heartbreak Warfare," "Perfectly Lonely" and "War of my Life," it is obvious this album was as much about making music as it was about self-therapy in an emotionally difficult time.
The first track, "Heartbreak Warfare," sets the mood for the rest of the album. A mellow John Mayer sings over an ambient guitar and basic drum beat stating, "Lightning strike inside my chest to keep me up at night / Dream of ways to make you understand my pain." Even the solo of the song feels very emotional, with the twang of the guitar embodying his pain. As the song progresses to the bridge the mood picks up, showing a sense of perseverance as Mayer proclaims, "I swear to God we are going to get this right if you lay your weapon down." Mayer is clearly putting down his shields and opening up, taking the listener through the emotional uphill battle he has gone through.
The rest of the album generally follows through with the idea of heartbreak, destruction and the pain of moving on. Whatever prompted Mayer to sing about this emotional pain clearly had a great influence on him for better or worse. The tone of over half the album is slower, more mellow and more reflective than anything Mayer has ever done. Though they constitute a majority, the album is not all ballads. In a testament to his growth as a musician, the middle few songs on the album are much stronger musically. In the middle of the album, Mayer goes back to the more laid-back and fun style that listeners are used to and focuses on moving on rather than dwelling upon being hurt. The songs that really stand out are "Perfectly Lonely," a bluesy tune showing Mayer's musical and lyrical growth; "Half of My Heart," which features Taylor Swift in a lackluster appearance not fully using her talent; and "Crossroads," a cover of the blues standard made famous by Eric Clapton's band Cream.
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