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NMT: Listen to John Mayer's new album, "Battle Studies." NMT: Listen to John Mayer's new album, "Battle Studies." Watch

John Mayer- “Battle Studies”

Lacks firepower, but holds down the fort nonetheless

Love him or hate him, there is no denying that John Mayer’s music has always elicited one of those two responses.

Listeners were either taken aback by his guitar prowess and catchy melodies, or brought to a gag with schmaltzy lyrics, in songs like “Your Body Is a Wonderland,” that read aloud like Hallmark cards.

I for one had always admired his music, especially with early albums “Room For Squares” and “Heavier Things.” He ranks up there with Jack White and John Fruisciante as the foremost guitar virtuosos of our generation.

Surprisingly enough though, “Battle Studies” has few moments when that talent takes the spotlight, with mushy pop melodies taking precedence in his first effort that might warrant indifference.

Not to say the album is a complete failure though. There’s not so much as a bad song, as there are just no true standouts like there had always been. Sharper moments (“Assassin,” “Who Says”) are dulled with an album that lacks an element of surprise or deviation.

Feeling much like a bridge back from “Continuum” to “Room For Squares,” the bluesy element that had grown increasingly heavy has diminished to a supporting role in much of Mayer’s new tunes. This is a shame, considering that is what he does best.

“Battle Studies” begins promising enough. The lyrics of “Heartbreak Warfare” seem a bit obvious, but they slowly win you over. The most marked difference you begin to notice is Mayer’s seemingly newfound appreciation for Edge’s brand of guitar performance, a cavernous, spacious echo compared to his more intimate Stevie Ray Vaughn-inspired riffs.

Most of the songs just feel lazy and safe though, never overly offending, or exciting for that matter. Songs like “All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye” and “War Of My Life” come off as anonymous and the ploy of bringing Taylor Swift in for “Half Of My Heart” is too contrived for my taste, though it’s a crowd pleasure for sure.

Digging back into his vinyl roots for “Perfectly Lonely” shows that blues is what he does best; its leisurely stroll punched with rhythmic crawls become a perfect palette for Mayer to splash his talents on.

Yet song like this are lacking, and the result is dreary but just pleasing enough.

John Mayer is well known for his experiences with synesthesia, seeing colors when he listens to music, and you would think that he would have seen “Battle Studies” coming off a bit gray. Hopefully he opts for a more colorful approach next time.

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NMT: Listen to Vampire Weekend's new single, "Cousins." NMT: Listen to Vampire Weekend's new single, "Cousins." Watch

Vampire Weekend- “Cousins”

Jittery Ivy League burst of afro-punk nirvana

Going into depth about one song is nearly always impossible. Finding a substantial hook to follow takes some digging and hardly feels anything but forced.

But in the short two minutes and twenty-five seconds of “Cousins,” Vampire Weekends leave me with angles abound and chomping at the bit for their upcoming release, “Contra.”

Vampire Weekend already bucked the curse of being a “buzz band” with their self-titled debut, and they are fighting an uphill battle in combating the sophomore slump that has plagued so many bands of the past five or so years (Bloc Party, Arctic Monkeys, Cold War Kids)

If “Cousins,” as well as the previously leaked “Horchata,” are any indication, we should have no worries about “Contra.” In fact, they may very well set the tone for the entire decade if the rest of the album follows suit.

“Cousins” works as, well, “Contra’s” cousin to “A-Punk.” Ironically enough though, “Cousins” has a much punkier spark than that ditty as schizoid guitars flare into dizzying bursts and brush you sideways.

I don’t think I ever really understood what spunky meant until listening to “Cousins.” With its plucky delivery and choral bell conclusion, the term fits to a T.

The band claims California, and the music their of, to be one of the bigger influences on “Contra.” It’s brashly apparent in the breakneck electric cascades that rush down every so often, and it seems as though the Ivy League-bred afro-poppers might have unbuttoned the top button of their Brooks Brothers polo’s and adopted pairs of board shorts and sandals into their wardrobe as well..

The formula that made them famous remains complete.

Columbia lit inspired lyrics with pop-culture throwbacks? Check.

African percussion whooshed into the new millennium? Check.

Vocalist Ezra Koenig’s signature yelp and vivacious delivery intact? Check.

If anything, “Cousins” shows that you can be successful growing in new directions while holding tight what made people like you in the first place.

Maybe it takes an Ivy-League education to figure that out, or maybe Vampire Weekend is just not over thinking it like other bands tend to do.

Either way, get excited for “Contra,” and be prepared for a 3,000-word review if one song got me talking this much.