Battle Studies [Columbia]



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There can be no question, by this point, that John Mayer is immensely talented. He’s a very fine singer with a soulful tenor, a guitarist of some merit, and a songwriter well-acquainted with the ways of the big chorus hook. In concert, all of these attributes align to form an experience that can appeal to both the portion of the female audience there for the sensitivity on display in Mayer’s songs — not to mention his good looks — and “musos” who just want to hear him bust out a long, bluesy guitar solo.



On record, Mayer has always been a dicier proposition. He tends to play it safe, rounding off all of the comparatively rough edges on display in the concert setting in service of a soccer mom-friendly pop rock that makes you look long and hard for the substance that is, more often than not, lurking beneath the sheen. The massively successful “Heavier Things” offers the perfect example of this flaw. As good as that record was, one was left wondering why Mayer chose to make a good album instead of the great one he’s capable of.



“Continuum” broke the mold a bit by reveling in some genuinely funky R&B, and touring as a trio with drummer Steve Jordan and bassist Pino Palladino seemed like a bid on Mayer’s part to be taken seriously as a musician, not merely a heartthrob. The new“Battle Studies” is an incredibly frustrating recapitulation of the virtues of “Heavier Things,” however. On one hand, it is easily Mayer’s most immaculately crafted collection of soulful pop songs. On the other, it’s just too damn nice to really matter to the portion of Mayer’s audience that is in it for the music.



How can anyone who is really listening deny the gorgeous harmony lifting the chorus of “All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye” its due? Who could suggest that “Heartbreak Warfare” is anything less than sublime craftsmanship on display? Who is stubborn enough to suggest that Mayer’s funky reworking of “Crossroads” is anything other than hip?



And yet, how can Mayer expect us to take seriously a limp duet with Taylor Swift, in the form of “Half of My Heart,” which sounds nothing if not half-hearted? And why does “Who Says” sound like something you would hear in your dentist’s waiting room?



When, if ever, will Mayer really break free of expectations and deliver the album he most surely has in him? “Battle Studies” isn’t it.



—Jeff Miers



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