Remarkably Unremarkable : John Mayer - Battle Studies
Yesterday, first thing, I picked up a copy of John Mayer’s fourth release Battle Studies. I awaited this project with more excitement than any I can remember for many years - what a flop.
I can’t believe this is what took three years to complete.
1) Heartbreak Warfare: The first tune set a nice groove that I hoped would permeate the entire album, but it was the highlight that left me hanging. The only track I ever care to hear again.
2) All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye: And he says it over and over and over… Nothing special… A Lenny Kravitz feel.
3) Half Of My Heart: Sounds like a Fleetwood Mac demo…
4) Who Says: Who says I can’t celebrate whim-worship? Meaningful lyrics would have made this a good tune.
5) Perfectly Lonely: A decent bluesy track…
6) Assassin: Shoot me. Seal meets Paul Simon…
7) Crossroads: The Nintendo version. After hearing Mayer perform crossroads live, and peeling our faces back with it, I kept waiting on the fisher-price intro to erupt in to a tremendous sonic groove… I kept waiting…
8) War Of My Life: This would’ve been a great worst track…
9) Edge Of Desire: Zzzzzz…
10) Do You Know Me: A great rough draft.
11) Friends, Lovers Or Nothing: Nothing.
Lyrically, the intellectual depth conveyed in Continuum (one of my desert island picks) was nowhere to be found on this project. After the rich contemplation expressed in Belief, Gravity, Heart of Life, and Stop This Train, hearing about his one-night-stands and recreational drug use is of no interest to me - especially if set to bland instrumentation.
Instrumentally, listening to this album is like watching an Indy car drive through the parking lot. Mayer is an absolute stud on the guitar, a fact of which there’s hardly a glimpse on this release.
It almost seems like this album was a product of Mayer going through the motions of creative productivity, but without any genuine form of inspiration.
After this shallow mediocrity from one of the artists of our time, I find myself wanting Mayer to settle down and have children so I’ll be able to relate to his ingenious writing and musicianship once again.
Too bad.
