Mason Jennings
Boneclouds (Epic; August 2006)
Another great offering from this dazzling troubadour, and an
album I can’t listen to enough. On Boneclouds, Jennings
gets a little moodier, both lyrically and musically. Some of this
recalls Lennon’s great two post-Beatles albums, in that the largely
acoustic songs are probing, confessional, and dark without being
depressing.
What I like so much about Jennings’s music is its complex
simplicity; like a zen poet, or a winemaker, he distills enormous
ideas into beautiful, potent songs that stick without getting
stuck. The fact that he isn’t afraid to experiment with his formula
only makes him better; Jennings will be one that we’re still
talking about 30 years from now, I promise. Nearly perfect.
(Photo by Jason Maggio)
