Mo' Better Blues: The Continued Frustration of John Mayer

I wonder how much of a person's like or dislike for an album or any work of art for that matter goes into what they expect going in.

Too high and one's likely to be disappointed; too low and one faces the probability of having his/her expectations met or exceeded.

I expect great things from John Mayer. Case in point. I've long been a defender of his from the first time I heard Room for Squares. Even the title, a coy reference to Hank Mobley's No Room for Squares in 1963, suggested there was more to this musician.

I get laughed at for that perspective frequently, especially because Mayer has the audacity to pen unforgivable, eye-rolling pop fluff such as "Your Body is a Wonderland" or the sadly ironic "Waiting on the World to Change." Yet he can also write a solid song ("Clarity" or "Belief" for two examples) and shred.

His off-stage persona is equally dichotomous, wherein he's known for dating exceptionally attractive women (Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jennifer Aniston) and being something of a goofball.

But the Mayer who takes the stage is a different beast than the one in the studio, which is why his records continue to frustrate me, including Tuesday's Battle Studies. After showing a hint of that promise on Continuum — which remains his finest work — he's back to his pop-infused tropes and gambits on Battle Studies.

That he tries so hard and takes his work so seriously is not the issue. Nor do I care about his personal life.

I think because I've been his champion and because I know he could do it, I have the bar set high for Mayer. I really do think he could make a classic album. Laugh all you want, but let's recognize that he's a quality guitarist with good songwriting sensibility. He knows how to craft a catchy tune.

Now I wanna see him put the pedal to the floor. He was going to "close up shop on acoustic sensitive." So I got excited. Continuum was a half-step in the right direction, a blue-eyed soul pop compromise.

I want to see him make an album that plays to his greatest asset, which is his ability. Battle Studies, by this measure, is a disappointing regression.

But there is the definition of perception and expectations. Because I expect such great things from Mayer, what I think is a step backward someone else with different expectations might think is his finest hour.