Battle Studies

Another awesome CD from John Mayer. Continuum has always been my favorite, but after listening to Battle Studies a couple of times, I think it's better. Where Continuum is full of slower, powerful songs, Battle Studies has a lot more quicker, upbeat songs.

My favorites are Perfectly Lonely, Assassins, War of My Life and Edge of Desire. All we Ever Do and Half of My Heart are slower, but also very catchy. You can listen to this disc from start to finish and over and over.

Highly recommend!

I'm kind of disappointed by this one. Love the Continuum CD. It's one of my absolute favorites. I expected more. Maybe the next one will be better.

I did not enjoy the album. Let me expound. I have always liked John Mayer; he was there for me as a senior in highschool, boldly singing about the promise life holds for those who dare to muster courage and set out into it. He was there for me in college playing Sting's 'message in a bottle' reminding us that, when we feel lost, there are countless others we can connect with. He was there for...well, actually...then he kind of let us down on heavier things and I had to make due by searching limewire for obscure earlier work I may have overlooked. Luckily the Trio album eventually arrived as if to say 'okay, my last album was less than you expected, but i'm trying to figure it out; enjoy this in the meantime'. And the masses rejoiced in John's decision to return to making music that is creative and inspired. Then came Continuum which provided us a giant sigh of relief as we saw a return to mayer, his guitar, and thoughtful songs about life that contain his subtle optimistic bent. Yes, things seemed to be going well between fans and John Mayer. The new found trust lead us to imagine that the future with JM would always be as great as watching the 'where the light is' DVD. Unfortunately, though, Mayer got dumped by a woman who was still pissed about being dumped by Brad Pitt, and like the youngest child often takes it out on the dog, Mayer, in a haze of scorn and destitution (okay, that may be a bit over the top, but you get what I'm saying) took it out on the fans. Now, I'm not saying Battle Studies is garbage, but, compared to JM when he takes his time and writes from a good place, the album lacks dynamic and originality and leaves the fan saying 'dammit john, if i wanted a normal pop album i would have bought gavin degraw. Basically, it has the results of a history term paper that you put off until the night before it was due. C-. ...life as the fan on the side...

OK I'm a bit old for you but I love his voice and love to be sung to sleep by his husky, romantic voice.

How does one follow up a masterpiece?

Not many artists have to answer that question at some point in their careers. John Mayer got that chance with his 2009 LP, 'Battle Studies.' It's an enviable position to be in, but an extremely difficult one too.

Make no mistake, Mayer's 2007 offering 'Continuum' was a masterpiece. It perfectly blended his pop-rock roots with the blues chops he established during his time fronting the John Mayer Trio. Every song seemed meticulously crafted and refined, each one a joy to listen to.

'Battle Studies' is a decidedly different album. It lacks the consistency of 'Continuum', but its standouts can easily stand up to the best tracks Mayer has ever released.

The album leads off with "Heartbreak Warfare," arguably its best and most memorable track. The song is a rollicking, echoey ballad that establishes the underlying theme of 'Battle Studies': love as war. It's a beautiful, catchy song that you'll want to listen to again and again.

The rest of the album pulls some sudden switches between 80s-esque electric rock (think Eric Clapton or Tom Petty) and folksy acoustic guitar. "All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye" allows Mayer to exercise his vocal talent, which seems to effectively split audiences. Love it or hate it, the guy can belt it, and there's no denying his unequaled talent on the guitar.

The only collaboration on the album is "Half Of My Heart," which features Taylor Swift (I guess). She's barely there, but hearing her very short solo is a neat addition to the bare, acoustic-and-drumset-laden song.

"Who Says" was a controversial choice for the first single released on the album. There are tracks on 'Battle Studies' with much bigger hit potential, but "Who Says" is a quiet, honest, acoustic musing by Mayer, who lyrically wonders who says he can't do what he wants to do.

"Perfectly Lonely" is a bluesy tune, upbeat with some more signature guitar thrown in for good measure. Aside from the warfare theme, this album definitely fits into another concept: singleness. Both "Who Says" and "Perfectly Lonely" fit this theme. They're frank expressions of Mayer's contentment with the single life.

"Assassin" deserves a special mention. It's one of the strangest and most unique tracks Mayer has ever put out. It constantly fluctuates between quiet and loud, and the sound is something you'll have to hear for yourself. It's tough to describe, but I definitely like it.

Mayer covers Clapton/Cream on "Crossroads," which is cool to hear but not all that memorable. That guitar is pretty damn impressive, though.

"Edge of Desire" is my other favorite on the album. It's a slow song, and the chorus is extremely beautiful. It's a perfect showcase of the honest pictures of romance that Mayer is known for.

"Do You Know Me" is definitely the most forgettable track on the album. It clocks in at 2.5 minutes, and it's easy to let it pass by without even noticing its presence on 'Battle Studies'. It's extremely slow and bare, which isn't bad, but it doesn't stand out as much as the other tracks do.

'Battle Studies' finishes out with "Friends, Lovers Or Nothing," which I definitely appreciate because it's piano-driven. My favorite track on 'Continuum' was unquestionably 'Dreaming With A Broken Heart', which is very similar to "Friends, Lovers Or Nothing" in a lot of ways, including the sweet piano. The guitar melds with the piano very well, and Mayer's writing is still topnotch.

Mayer had his work cut out for him when he was tasked with following up 'Continuum'. He doesn't top that album here, but I get the feeling he wasn't exactly trying to. He wanted to make some good music, and that's what he's accomplished here. Even if it doesn't top 'Continuum', 'Battle Studies' does feature some of the best tracks Mayer has ever played.

Give 'Battle Studies' a preview listen before you buy, and you'll see what I mean. I can almost guarantee that "Heartbreak Warfare" will convince you in a heartbeat that 'Battle Studies' is worth your money. Just remember to give the rest of the album a little time to grow on you. You won't regret it.