Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 11/17/2009
It’s no secret that
John Mayer is a 21st Century Fox, wining and dining women all through tabloid headlines, so it’s about time he delivered an album that traded upon his loverman persona -- and
Battle Studies is that record in spades. Retaining more than a modicum of the slick, soul-blues undertones of
Continuum,
Mayer fashions a modern groove album, a record that maintains a smooth seductive vibe so thoroughly it spills into a one-man band cover of
“Crossroads.” Mayer remains somewhat of a disciple of
Slowhand, but he shows an unusual interest in the big AOR stylings of
Journeyman, along with
Stevie Ray Vaughan’s
In Step, creating a coolly clean blend of synths and Strats, one that’s as much about texture as it is about song…something perfectly appropriate for a make-out album like this. Sometimes,
Mayer dips too heavily toward the texture, but he can’t resist a good, tight melody and builds the bulk of
Battle Studies upon them: the elegant
“Half of My Heart,” the softly soulful
“Perfectly Lonely.” Here,
Mayer is effortlessly seductive and somewhat irresistible, and it’s easy to see why the ladies love cool
John., All Music Guide
;)
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