Courtesy of Columbia
Get ready to dodge bullets with John Mayer on his newest concept album, “Battle Studies.” With a very public personal life, constant tweets and regular publicity stunts, the guitarist’s public life is unpredictable. Nonetheless, Mayer continues to perfect his guitar chords, lyrics and vocals in his fourth studio album.
Girlfriends like Jessica Simpson, Minka Kelly and most recently, Jennifer Aniston, seem to inspire Mayer’s “love is a battlefield” themed album.
“Battle Studies” is more pop than his most recently album, 2006’s “Continuum,” and more mature than earlier albums “Room for Squares and “Heavier Things.”
Mayer starts the album off with steady percussion and electric guitar sounds in “Heartbreak Warfare.” The song sets the scene for “Battle Studies” with wartime lyrics: “Clouds of sulfur in the air/Bombs are falling everywhere/It’s heartbreak warfare.”
The song is rumored to be about Mayer’s relationship with Aniston, which was full of frequent struggles.
Following is the bluesy pop tune, “All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye.” Mayer strums his electric guitar and perfects soft mournful lyrics: “I love you more than songs can say/But I can’t keep running after yesterday.”
Again, it seems that he is referring to a long distance relationship, the type of relationship he and Aniston had with her busy acting career. The song ends with Mayer’s most respected ability—his smooth guitar strums.
Next up on the album is Taylor Swift singing back-up vocals under Mayer’s voice and guitar. In the catchy tune “Half of My Heart,” Mayer sings that he “Can’t stop loving you/With half of my heart.” He admits that he “Made a plan/Stay the man who can only love himself,” showing where his priorities lie. The track is fantastic from open to close.
Next is Mayer’s new single, “Who Says.” The stoner track about wanting solitude takes a break from the battle theme and combines a simple acoustic guitar with memorable vocals. “I don’t remember you looking any better/But then again I don’t remember you.”
More haunting guitar riffs follow in “Perfectly Lonely,” a fantastic musical piece with the bass of Piano Palladino and the drums of Steve Jordon. Mayer sings, “I’m perfectly lonely, yeah/’Cause I don’t belong to anyone, nobody belongs/(It’s the way, that’s the way, it’s the way that I want it).” Again Mayer does not appear too romantic.
Mayer follows up with “Assassin,” a musically and vocally superb track. Strong percussion and the electric guitar back the song alongside memorable lyrics, continuing the theme of love as a battlefield. “I was a killer, was the best they’d ever seen/I’d steal your heart before you ever heard a thing/ I’m an assassin and I had a job to do/Little did I know that girl was an assassin too,” Mayer sings. Not only is the song a metaphor, but it is also Mayer’s best one.
Mayer then covers the blues-rock tune, “Crossroads,” by Robert Johnson in the style of Cream’s cover and does the classic justice with a strong electric guitar and vocals.
The next song, “War of My Life,” goes along with the same theme but is a bit slower than other tracks on the album. The song drags and closely resembles Mayer’s previous songs.
Mayer redeems himself on the next track, “Edge of Desire,” which has an original sound with mesmerizing vocals, electric guitar rifts, bass and drums. Alongside “Assassin,” “Edge of Desire” is the strongest song on “Battle Studies.” The song is a captivating five minutes from the first lick to last note. Mayer’s lyrics are poetry; “Wired and I’m tired/Think I’ll sleep in my clothes on the floor/Baby this mattress/Will spin on its axis/And find me on yours,” Mayer sings.
Following is “Do You Know Me,” which is the shortest track and most lyrically simplistic, though has an enjoyable guitar backing it up.
Mayer ends “Battle Studies” with a bang. In “Friends, Lovers or Nothing,” he finishes the battle. “Think we’ll never fall into/The jealous game/The streets will flood/With blood of those who feel the same.”
He might view his relationships as struggles, but ends “Battle Studies” on a sweet note; “Anything other than ‘yes’ is ‘no’/Anything other than ‘stay’ is ‘go’/Anything less than ‘I love you’ is lying,” Mayer sings.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sara Juliet Fruman at Sara.fruman@colorado.edu.
