For a young rocker, John Mayer plays very safe. Compare that with the career of his great idol Eric Clapton, who only entered calmer waters after all kinds of erratic side roads. Mayer's fifth studio album offers exactly what you would expect based on his previous records: enjoyable 'adult rock' with the occasional sharp guitar solo and an acoustic intermezzo. The craftsmanship is splashing, the
… inspiration unfortunately not. Battle Studies comes across as a fill-in-the-blank exercise, with vocal lines and guitar parts that Mayer can still play in his sleep. The contribution of Taylor Swift, America's most successful country singer of the moment, also appears to be a clever marketing stunt rather than musical motives. Low point is the perfunctory version of the blues standard Crossroads, although lyrically he hits the nail on the head with this song. Mayer, who has regularly stated that he has trouble with fame, seems to find himself at a crossroads in his career: endlessly continuing on the same foot or looking for other musical paths. (MS)more
