I finally got the album yesterday, i've been waiting so eagerly for it ever since i heard (rather read on John Mayer's twitter) that he was recording a new album. I loved his last album "Continuun", i admit i never cared much about his music before that, but that album got me hooked. Even his first album "Room for Squares" is one of my favourite albums when it comes to popular music. But "Battle Studies" (BS) has been such a let down. I don't know if some of the songs are going to grow on me as i keep listening to them, but on first listen, i'm sorry to say John, but you just don't hit the mark.
Okay let's try a track by track analysis...
Track1. Heartbreak Warfare- One of the better tracks in the album, though i wish John would hire people to write the words to his songs. A good opening to the album, silly lyrics, good composition. Not much more to say about it.
Track2. All we ever do is say goodbye- Okay song, & features a killer slide guitar solo, albeit a short one. I wonder why John Mayer, who is undoubtedly a better guitar player than a singer or a songwriter should make an album which focuses only the lesser of his talents. Where Continuum had a song like "Gravity", which could make just about anyone swoon with that wonderful guitar work, BS has none such. This song is a bit of a compensation.
Track3. Half of my heart- Once again, juvenile lyrics. Okay as a pop tune. Nothing great about it, completely forgettable.
Track4. Who says- Released as a single before the album came out, this song will remind you of "Stop this Train", it's catchy alright, but the lyrics are pretty childish, like in the rest of the album. Nevertheless, this is probably one of the few songs in the album that you'll be humming after you're done listening to it.
Track5. Perfectly Lonely-Nice enough, except that i expected better guitar work.
Track6. Assassin- One of the worst songs i have ever heard, i didn't expect something like this at all. I will probably never listen to this one again.
Track7. Crossroads- Take blues classic & screw it.
Track8. War of my life- Yet another song that isn't too bad, & isn't too great either. Nothing great about this one.
Track9. Edge of Desire- yeah, yeah, whatever...
Track10. Do you know me- Good one.
Track 11. Friends, Lovers or Nothing- At last, last song on the album has that quintessential John Mayer touch to it. Though once again the lyrics leave much to be desired, this one is worth listening to. Only complaint, yeah John, you did some nice writing with the last line "Anything other than 'yes' is a 'no', anything other than 'stay' is 'go'...etc" ; but you really didn't have to go on repeating that so many times that everyone got sick of it with just the first listen". Still, good work on this one.
Overall, it's a disappointing album, it's just sad to see one of the most promising guitar players of our times going stale so soon.I'll stick to Continuum & the trio for now, hoping he'll do a better job on the next.
