The Activist

Issue date: 2/8/10 Section: Arts and Entertainment

If there is one thing I want you (the reader) to take away from this review it's that John Mayer's lyrics may not whisk you off your feet (as they did me), but his guitar playing definitely will. "Battle Studies" is his fourth studio album. Those of you who enjoy John Mayer know his last album, "Continuum," was awesome. This is no different.

Now I'll admit it, some of the album might sound a little corny or clichéd to someone who, in my opinion, doesn't know how to listen to music, but I think you just have to sit down and analyze everything Mayer is saying, or at least playing, in order to give yourself a better appreciation for it.

I don't think you can go wrong with any track on this album. On the first track, "Heartbreak Warfare," Mayer doesn't wait to showcase his finger's talents. This is one of the songs that might sound corny to some, but who cares? It's beautiful guitar!

Another track I love is "Crossroads." Mayer covered Robert Johnson's famous blues strum, not in quite the same fashion, but he still manages to catch your ear with a beautiful riff during this whole song.

Mayer's lead single off the cd, "Who Says," has attracted many listeners with an emphatic statement like "Who says I can't get stoned, turn off the lights and the telephone?" On this track Mayer basically tells his listeners he doesn't care what anybody thinks. I can see it as him thumbing his nose at a former love, as if he doesn't care anymore about it.

"Do You Know Me," in my opinion, Mayer's version of "Gravity" on this album, is beautiful. The song seems to have maybe twenty words in it, but the guitar is so gripping and captivating your ears can't help but listen.

Now everybody knows that John Mayer has generally been known as a heartthrob. Whether it's Jen Aniston, Jessica Simpson, or some other gorgeous actress or singer, he is always writing about women and his experiences with them. I think that's why my favorite track off the album is "Assassin." This song shows the listener a little irony: "I was a killer, was the best they'd ever seen./ I'd steal your heart before you ever heard a thing./ I'm an assassin and I had a job to do./ Little did I know that girl was an assassin too."

Usually Mayer is breaking all the hearts, but once he finds a girl that he really wants, he realizes she's doing the same thing he has been doing all along.

I don't know how much more persuading needs to be done. Buy this album. Mayer's fingers would love to give you a couple reasons why.

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