JOHN MAYER- Battle Studies Review

JOHN MAYER

Battle Studies

Columbia

 

It seems like an eternity since John Mayer came to Atlanta a wide-eyed Berklee College of Music dropout, partnering with Clay Cook to peddle his sensitive singer-songwriter shtick on the local coffeehouse circuit. But ever since Cook left in the late ‘90s to join the Marshall Tucker Band (he’s now working with Zac Brown), Mayer’s been refining an increasingly radio-friendly pop-rock sound, trading his funkier, more stripped-down jazz and blues influences for an adult contemporary smoothness designed to go down easy like Sunday morning.

 

It’s no secret that Mayer has emerged in recent years as pop music’s most formidable lothario (or douchebag, depending on how you see it), bedding a string of sexy sirens (including Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jessica Simpson, Minka Kelly, Jennifer Aniston, etc.) that have made him a regular tabloid staple. So perhaps it’s no surprise that his fourth studio album, Battle Studies, boasts a strong seductive vibe squarely aimed at the fairer sex.

 

As if his personal life wasn’t enough to convince you that the former Atlanta folkie has “gone Hollywood,” the album was recorded in a house near Topanga Canyon, with Mayer claiming he wanted to get a “hazy, rustic, California, Don Henley, Fleetwood Mac feel.” The resulting record fits squarely into the adult-oriented rock tradition, channeling legends like Sting, Dire Straits and Eric Clapton. Its mood is perfectly suited for romantic evenings with a good wine and a warm fire, but from the U2-lite vibe of the opening “Heartbreak Warfare” to a tepid cover pf Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads,” it’s not terribly exciting.

 

Still, from the teary-eyed balladry of “All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye” to the soulful “Edge Of Desire,” this album is clearly aimed at the ladies. And if Mayer’s mandate was to hit the female of the species (or at least the kind most likely to be sipping on a merlot at Chastain Park) square in the heart, Battle Studies is mission accomplished. – BRET LOVE

(originally appeared in Georgia Music Magazine)