"Easy Tiger" - Ryan Adams ✭✭✭✭✭

Well, its time to review on of my favorite albums.(just for fun) Ryan Adams is a good songwriter in the sense that he writes a LOT of songs, has a few popular albums, other people like to cover his songs, etc. But I find him to be an amazing songwriter because of his “identify-ability.” For example, his love songs don’t seem to be about the most incredible women, [see songs like “Sylvia Plath”(the album Gold)], but about real women. To me it feels like he captures real life experiences in his music. Anyway, I digress…

So, with his most recent album, “Easy Tiger,” he fully matures into songwriting completeness in the sense that every song on this album is great, as well as different from each other. The weakest song by far would be ‘Goodnight Rose,’ but even so, an easy song to listen to. The strongest song would be the next one, ‘Two,’ which he manages to sing about sucking at life with as few words as possible while still getting the point across. After that, its still all quality music the whole way through. A great cynical, close-feeling song called ‘Oh My God, Whatever, etc.’ A nice country visit with ‘Tears of Gold’ and ‘Pearls on a String.’ A few love songs. A great melancholy experience with the closer, ‘I Taught Myself How to Grow Old.’ And somewhere in there, a nice, mildly psychotic diversion with ‘Halloween Head.’ All good songs here.

A very identifiable experience, indeed. It makes sense for every song on this album to have made the cut. I think everyone can like it. And most people would learn to love it. Go out and get it. Entertain your humanness for a while.

- Wesley Morrison

Battle Studies - John Mayer

Battle Studies(2009) - John Mayer ✭✭✭1/2

Okay. Do you like pop music? I do. Which is why I like this album. He doesn't throw the hammer down like he did with the previous full-length "Continuum," but once again, 'Johnny Boy' has managed to make a pop record made mostly of love songs without sounding cliché, sappy, or like he forgot how to be an original lyricist. In fact he manages to sound a bit cynical, maybe even spiteful. Mr. Mayer has come along way from "Your Body is a Wonderland," indeed.

'Heartbreak Warfare' basically sums up the whole thing. A bit of a jilted, hopeless romantic's song with strong melodies. A decent tip of the cap to the Country genre with 'Have of My Heart.' Lots of variety the whole way from '[Heartbreak]Warfare,' to the R&B kick of 'Assasin,' a solid cover-song in 'Crossroads', to what I consider the best song on here: 'Edge of Desire'(this one fits in with the quality of "Continuum." Solid songwriting the whole way through.

Now the bad stuff. A couple of, what seem to me like 'nods to the record company,' have found their way into the mix here. What is the point of covering an Eric Clapton(Cream) song if you're going to have a lame guitar solo? Give the blues lovers a little something here since the rest of the songs won't give them anything. Second, What is the point of having Taylor Swift sing with you if she's just going to sing back-up/harmony/echos and a few "oooo-s." Let the girl sing. But maybe that's just being picky. Honestly the worst part of this album is the cover-art. Who told him to make that face? Anyone?. . .

The conclusion. . . True John Mayer fans will like it. Fans of the John Mayer Trio will probably not like it. People that like what the radio tells you to like will Love it. There isn't much wrong here, just not a lot that is exceptionally good.


-Wesley Morrison