Austin Town Hall

Rating:

When Mason Jennings first released In the Ever, I couldn’t have been more disappointed.  The album seemed forced and overproduced–it lacked all the personality that I felt made Mason Jennings so special.  I even vowed never to give him my money again, unless I previewed his work prior to purchase.  Well, I gave in to my longing for Mason and got my hands on Blood of Man.

Upon the first listen all the way through, I paused momentarily, trying to wrap my head around the record, almost confused.  I came to the decision that this album seemed like a collection of really good demos.  There was an evident rawness to the writing, and the recording (drums especially) that brought back a whole lot of that character that sparked the flame of fandom within me so long ago.

Sure, the first song sort of seems like Mason is channeling that Eddie Vedder character people are so into, but the rest of the album wears that warmth of his vocal inflection that makes his music seem so unique.  Everything about Blood of Man seems completely natural and not forced.  This is more Use Your Voice era Mason than it is anything else, and I’m frankly relieved to see him heading back to that hallowed ground.

That being said, there are some odd missteps here, and I don’t necessary see them as bad things, but just really unexpected moments.  For instance, “Ain’t No Friend of Mine” appears like a sort of Dead Weather stomp with a splash of Mason.  Even his vocals have a little hint of Mr. White. Still, the dude’s been putting out tunes, so you can’t blame him for trying something entirely new.  Just be happy he seems to have steered far away from the land of Jack Johnson and other like-minded hacks.

What comes as a great surprise on this album is that Mason Jennings wraps it up perfectly by including some of his best efforts, as of late, on the end of the album.  You won’t find a more fitting tune for resolving personal crisis than “Lonely Road.”  And ending the entire record with “Blood of Man” shows how the simplest tunes are still the heart and soul of this singer/songwriter.  It’s just he and a guitar, and I guess that’s the way it always seems like it should have been.

So it seems that Mason Jennings has come around full circle.  He’s back to where he began, though with a bit of growth and maturity beneath his belt.  It makes this a great addition to his entire catalogue.  I’m glad I picked up Blood of Man.

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Download: Mason Jennings – The Field [MP3]

We haven’t heard much from Mason Jennings recently, so we are excited to hear that he is working on new material.  The singer-songwriters new album, Blood of Man, is coming out September 15th via Brushfire Records.  We are really diggin’ it.

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Download: Mason Jennings – The Field [MP3]

Mason Jennings has been through his ups and downs as a songwriter, but mostly he’s been on the ups. His incredible vocals always lead those in his mass followings, such as Issac Brock of Modest Mouse, to a pleasurable listening experience. The crowds at Austin City Limits will surely be witness to his magic when he takes to the Austin Ventures stage this Saturday at 6:30. Read more after the jump.. Read More

Rating:

Mason Jennings has long been the troubadour of my heart. From the first listen of his self-titled album–which would probably go in my Top 50 list–he had won me over. There was fire and originality, something I had yet to come across from others in the same genre of music. I buy every album; I am a loyal fan.

However, I finally feel that Mason and I are through. I feel it has been coming for a long time; I think now it is officially time for the two of us to part ways. Finally I feel as if he arrived at a point completely on the opposite end of the promise he once showed.

I first noticed this departure in common ground on his last album Boneclouds, which felt a little over-produced, and by that I mean everything sounded really clean. It didn’t feel as intimate as his past albums had. Not to mention there were throw away songs.

What about the new one? Well, I found several throw away songs, in fact, I found one in “I Love You and Buddha Too.” I understand the search for spirituality, and the welcoming of all religions-as we should–but this is quite possibly the worst song I’ve heard all year. You can add to the list of throwaway songs “How Deep is That River.” Sorry Mason old pal, but you have so much more.

I don’t want to slam this record entirely because I feel like there are some promising moments. For instance, “Memphis, Tennesee” has the heart and soul of earlier recordings, and the opening track, “Never Knew Your Name,” does hold onto some of those intimate moments that I feel like Mason and I shared in the past.

Unfortunately, this album has drawn a line in the sand. I’m now going across to that side where I can no longer afford to buy Mason albums on our old bond alone. If you like Mason Jennings, or singer\songwriters, then you most likely will find some solace in this album, but I don’t think this is an album that will win him a lot of new fans–it might lose him some old ones.

Hear “Fighter Girl” off the new album In The Ever

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Download: fightergirl.mp3