John Mayer, 'Battle Studies'

Release date: November 17, 2009
Record label: Columbia
Official Web site: http://www.johnmayer.com/
   
The buzz: With 11 songs clocking in at 45 minutes, Mayer’s fourth album is a short and sweet effort describing the fallout after matters of heartache.

The verdict: Loving and losing has possibly aged Mayer beyond his 32 years; he has a bit of a Peter Gabriel moment on “Assassin” and “Edge of Desire,” stretching out the tunes to self-indulgence and running away from the peppiness of youthful songs past (no “Your Body Is a Wonderland” here, folks). But this isn’t a sad sack kind of set: “Perfectly Lonely” is the key indication that Mayer’s not sweating his single status too much. Even on songs like “War of My Life,” lyrics that seem to depict urgency are delivered with such settled mellowness that you’re not worried about his conflict.

Did you know? Despite being “Perfectly Lonely,” Mayer’s active personal life is subject to far more public scrutiny than his music. He’s reportedly had flings with Cameron Diaz and Jessica Simpson, and may or may not be currently dating his on-again, off-again paramour, Jennifer Aniston.