Mason Jennings is one of these guys who seem to have been on the verge of breaking big for around a decade. Jennings has been a fixture on the local scene in Minneapolis and has put out 7 proper records since 1997. A lyric from the opening track on his new record “I’ve been lovin’ you forever but I never knew your name” could just as easily describe his career. Recently Jack Johnson took Jennings under his long board and signed him to Brushfire Records. Like Johnson, Jennings was also born in Hawaii and I’m sure fans of Jack have taken Mason in as their own.
In the Ever is a nice little folk record. Trouble is only two tracks really rise to the occasion here resulting in an another uneven offering from journeyman Jennings. Opener “Never Knew Your Name” is bar hall meets Alice in Wonderland. While it has elements of sing-a-long, it’s just dark enough to make you want to sleep with the lights on.
Jennings is like the over thirty career minor leaguer having a nice season. While impressive, it’s also a bit sad because you know he missed his chance. Clearly Jennings has the talent, I’m just afraid the train has already left the station.
Tracks at the start of In the Ever have a haunted rocking chair feel to them. The music has a folksy front porch vibe to it but something is off kilter. Jennings voice will appeal to Jack Johnson fans, as he’s capable of sounding exactly like him. The difference is Johnson sounds like a sunset, and Jennings sounds like a BxW photo . . .of a crime scene. There’s more sadness and darkness to Jennings’ overall vibe.
There’s something very Vaudeville and experimental about this disc from Jennings. It’s as if he’s at peace and he’s finally doing it the way he wants to. Jennings has the sound of a free man, someone who is no longer trying to appease someone or get somewhere. And there’s something admirable about that. There are moments on In the Ever where that spirit turns into nice music. “I Love You and Buddha Too” is both hysterical and fun to listen to.
Jennings finally turns up the lights and gets out of his shell on “Fighter Girl.” He sounds like Jack Johnson’s cooler, older brother on this one. The voice is deeper and ready for the campfire especially the “yeah yeah yeah a yeah” chorus. “Fighter Girl” is barefoot white t-shirt rock that will put a smile on your face and one of the standout tracks on the record.
Jennings mixes in some folksy, borderline silly live tracks like “Your New Man” where he sings about cookies and getting too drunk at the Christmas party. You can tell by the audience enthusiasm that Jennings the showman is truly adored. He seems to be cut from the cloth of the old folk singers as he’s comfortable with the harmonica, commanding a room, and doling out anecdotes as songs. Yes Jennings is quite at home singing about god, rivers, and cities he might never have been to. It all sounds very natural. There’s a little Zen here and I can see the fit with Johnson.
The only mixes signal is a track like “Going Back to New Orleans” where Jennings seems to want to make a political statement, trouble is the message is lost in two minutes that are more mumble than music.
Like a true folk rock, songs like “How Deep Is That River” paint an amazing picture with lyrics like “God saw that man was just a little too rough so he gave him a heart and filled it with love.” Trouble is most here won’t have you tapping your foot.
The best of In the Ever are the power couple of “Fighter Girl” and “Soldier Boy.” “Soldier Boy” would sound fantastic on HBO’s miniseries Generation Kill this summer with lyrics like, “I was born on the railroad tracks with the weight of the world on my back.” “Soldier Boy” is sure to have the bodies bobbing at the summer festivals with its “bang a bang” chorus. This is another one to pay attention to.
So two more nice hits for Jennings on In the Ever, but I’m afraid it’s still not enough to take him to the big leagues.
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