- Music
- 14 Dec 09
Battle Studies
Love as a battlefield
Mayer has a tabloid reputation as a fun-loving roue, but in the studio he can turn the solemnity up to 11. His fourth album is a classy pop opus for grown-ups in which he emphasizes the more warlike aspects of sexual relationships.
This is nowhere more obvious than on ‘Heartbreak Warfare’ which sounds like he borrowed an out-take from Joshua Tree-era U2 – there are references to “clouds of sulphur in the air, bombs are falling everywhere”. For the Fleetwood Mac-styled ‘Half of My Heart’, featuring Taylor Swift, he lightens up somewhat. However, on the sombre, early Paul Simon-ish ‘Who Says’ he forlornly demands the right to get stoned. He becomes Brian Adams on ‘Perfectly Lonely’, while the slinky ‘Assassin’ comes with a solid bass undertow and sees Mayer tossing off a decent chorus. He funks up Robert Johnson’s ‘Crossroads’ – but the doomy, Beatles-ish ‘Friends, Lovers Or Nothing’ goes askew. Worth studying all the same...
RELATED
- Music
- 02 Jul 25
Foo Fighters commemorate 30th anniversary with new single
- Music
- 02 Jul 25
'90s Dublin pop band SWIM reunites for upcoming album
RELATED
- Music
- 01 Jul 25
Gemma Hayes announces Autumn Irish tour
- Music
- 30 Jun 25
On this day in 1997: The Prodigy released The Fat Of The Land
- Music
- 27 Jun 25