Mason Jennings has grown a solid fan base in the Twin Cities since he was 19, releasing two albums on his own and touring incessantly (putting on a great show at the Barrymore last Friday).
He’s been compared to pop- and folk-music gods, including the Beatles and Bob Dylan. Century Spring is his first album distributed by a major label, and although it has its strong points, it lacks the edginess of his first two albums.
Century Spring is a departure from Jennings’ two previous albums. For instance, political songs, the low points on Birds Flying Away, are nowhere to be found on the disc. Instead, the mood is positive yet melancholy, wide-eyed and serene. The music is pop stripped down to the basics, free of elaborate arrangements and non-sterilized by overproduction.
The songs on Side A focus on falling in love, which is subtly suggested in songs such as “New York City” and “Sorry Signs on Cash Machines,” two of the more beautifully written songs on the album.
Side B is the downer half of the album, and also the point where Jennings finally comes alive. “Bullet” is a fusion of old country, blues and pseudo-rap, and combined with its catchy lyrics, it is the most likable song on the album. Unfortunately, it clashes with the more laid-back songs it’s sandwiched between.
Jennings is often compared to Bob Dylan, although it’s hard to find his influence on Century Spring. There’s no shortage of Lennon-McCartney-esque piano melodies and choruses, most notably on “Dewey Dell.”
The main drawback of Century Spring is its unevenness. “Bullet” and “Sorry Signs on Cash Machines” are great songs amidst more forgettable fare. Jennings succeeds in writing happy songs without being sentimental, yet they don’t stand out.
This seems to be the problem with Jennings’ music: there’s always a qualifier attached to the praise he garners. He’s often compared with the current pop-music environment, and how high he stands above the current crop of (choke) boy bands and rap-rock outfits, which is true.
His lyrics and melodies are miles more mature than most acts going today, but not to the point of neglected genius as many would claim. And although his politically themed songs on “Birds Flying Away” were clumsy, they had an edge to them, as if Jennings had something important to say and he needed to do it through song. The immediacy and desperation are for the most part absent on the current album.
Century Spring is at times beautiful and poignant, but for the most part, the melancholy feel to the music and lyrics confines most of the songs to the background, making it hard to latch on to.
