Folk music is often dismissed by its detractors as a "less-than-musically-complex" genre. Many negatively associate it with its somewhat (and sometimes painfully) annoying guitar chord strumming and out-of-key singing of lyrics rife with whimsical platitudes and vain attempts at sending a "heavy message". In essence, folk music tends to have a lot more stripped down "Kumbaya My Lord" and "David Row Your Boat Ashore" than Radiohead-esque experimentalism and aural expansion, right?
I can relate to that impression fully. Which is probably why I didn't truly appreciated the folksy tunes of artists like Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Chris Kristofferson until an ex-girlfriend (thanks for the timeless gift of this music, Patti!) introduced me to the artistic genius that is a quiet and kind fellow named Mason Jennings. To pigeonhole Mason Jennings into the "just another folk artist" category would be a superficial distortion of the enormous breadth of his musical talents. Bob Dylan instantly comes to mind for most upon first listen - but there's a lot more to this Jennings guy."
As a teenager, Jennings moved to the Twin Cities from Pittsburgh in search of a place he could truly feel at home. It seemed to suit him perfectly as he settled down, found his first job as a burrito cook, saved up enough to purchase an analog 6-track mixer, recorded his first (self-titled) album in his apartment, got a resident gig at the local "500 Bar", became (relatively) famous, and all the while- never abandoned his adopted home of Minnesota.
Originally released in the year 2000, "Birds Flying Away" is certainly his most politically-minded ("United States Global Empire", "Dr. King"), musically diverse (hear- the perfectly timed complimentary horns in "Black Panther"), and poignant album to date. Each of his albums seems to bring its own vibe.
This one certainly has a lot of angst and pain - but these are tempered with near-perfect musical harmony and absolute lyrical beauty. It's hard to describe how one could ever feel happy listening to the lyric "and with the world comes misery/ comes jealousy and pain/ with new friends come enemies/ fortune brings the fame" on the track "Confidant", but Jennings' own brand of alt/folk/indie/punk rock makes it so. From the guttural punk-rock growl of the final minute of "The Light" to the soothing and emotional crooning of an unconditional commitment to a loved one with child in "Ballad for My One True Love", it's (mostly) "all good".
For all of my glowing endorsement of this album, it isn't exactly a "tour-de-force" from beginning to end. Tracks such as "Stars Shine Quietly", "Train Leaving Gray", and "Dr. King" are likely to turn off most listeners, but there is substance to this album like few I have ever heard (especially in its thought-provoking lyrics).
From high school dropout to one of the least known "big label" artists (after years of releasing his albums independently, Jennings was briefly signed to Modest Mouse's "Glacial Pace" label and recently signed on with Brushfire Records), Mason Jennings has reached the point in his career where he could easily plateau and stagnate or continue to milk the same tried-and-true formula each time around.
But he doesn't. We will probably never hear another album from Jennings' like "Birds Flying Away". And that is a testament to his work ethic and constant musical evolution and experimentation. Mr. Jennings has earned the right for a quick listen of the powerful love ballad title track from this timeless album, no?
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