According to John Mayer, his new album, Battle Studies, was created differently than his past projects.
Mayer claims he combined the traditionally separate processes of songwriting and recording into one larger session, and if this really is the case, perhaps he should considering doing it more often.
Accurately living up to the album title, the songs explore the problems of love, express the pain of loss and examine the quest for freedom from and within relationships.
“Heartbreak Warfare,” “All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye,” “War of My Life” and “Assassin” address love while admitting the pain found in romantic relationships, as Mayer declares in the track, “Disappointment has a name / It’s heartbreak warfare.”
While all four songs are easy to listen to, “War of My Life” takes on a more melancholy tone with its chord progression. It, along with “Heartbreak Warfare” and “Assassin,” sounds nothing like a fighting song, but perhaps they better suit Mayer’s laidback style.
The downfall track of these four is definitely “Assassin,” where Mayer stoops to cheesy lyrics – “I’d steal your heart before they heard a thing” and “She’s an assassin and she had a job to do” – to express how taking someone’s heart and then trampling it affects both parties involved.
Country superstar Taylor Swift joins Mayer on “Half of My Heart,” which conveys the struggle of not loving someone adequately, yet battling with how to call things off.
In a refreshing departure from her typical pop-country style, Swift’s gentle voice complements Mayer’s smooth but raspy voice.
The song functions well as a duet as both voices acknowledge they don’t love each other enough to stay together permanently, yet neither wants to break up.
In a similar vein, “Edge of Desire” looks at the struggle of simply wanting to have someone but hoping to ignore any pain that could come with a relationship simply by attending to physical desires.
“Perfectly Lonely” and “Who Says” both consider the freedom found by not being bound in a relationship.
While Mayer sings in “Perfectly Lonely” he’s happy to be free because it means, “Nothing to do, nowhere to be / I don’t belong to anyone / No one belongs to me,” he says it doesn’t mean he won’t ever consider a romantic relationship again. “Who Says” stands up for other kinds of freedom, as Mayer asks why he shouldn’t get stoned in his own home or call up ex-girlfriends just to chat.
A forgettable song on the album is “Do You Know Me,” where Mayer asks if his significant other really cares about him. The lyrics aren’t substantial, and the style is sleepy and boring.
The album’s oddball is definitely the cover of “Crossroads,” the weakest song on the album.
Mayer’s lyrical delivery is boring, but the guitar solo in the song is solid. It is the only song with a true solo on the album.
Mayer nails the issue of friends versus lovers on the closing song, “Friends, Lovers Or Nothing.”
The strong, driving piano and guitar introduction let listeners know it’s a solid song, both lyrically and musically. The repeated lines, “Anything other than ‘yes’ is ‘no’ / Anything other than ‘stay’ is ‘go’ / Anything less than ‘I love you’ is lying,” get slightly annoying, yet the words echo the truth listeners are familiar with.
Battle Studies is distinctively Mayer, with the expected vocal stylings, heavy guitar leads and narrative lyrics. At the same time, it remains distinctively different from his previous work, perhaps because it seems more personal and poignant than previous albums.