Seraphina Lotkhamnga on October 8th, 2011

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Talk about an unhealthy relationship. We’re not sure if Mayer Hawthorne was a fan of the film “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” but instead of talking it out, he and his gal are shooting bullets. Although Hawthorne is mostly known for his sweet lyrics dipped in doo-wop and soul that made him right at home on the Stones Throw Records, ‘The Walk,” off of his latest album “How Do You Do” (out Oct. 11 via Universal Republic), hides some pretty dark lyrics. “You did me wrong” is a standard phrase in any soul tune, but  “Well your heart is like a black piece of coal now / And I doubt that you ever had a soul now” diverges from the usual polite euphemisms. Hummable, playful melodies that complement Hawthorne’s smooth falsettos could have listeners assuming more sentiment from the singer, but the big guns are pulled out for emphasis here.

||| Download: “No Strings” as a free single from iTunes this week.

||| Live: Mayer Hawthorne performs Oct. 15 at the Roxy and Oct. 16 at Club Nokia.