★★★★★
Unlike some of his previous albums, Mason Jennings ditched the woods and solitude and brought in a band of musicians who could support his singing and guitar playing, for his 10th studio album. Always Been , produced by Bo Ramsey, is full of warm melodies and sweet choruses, exemplified by "Dreaming," a track that sounds as if we woke Jennings up from a summer reverie...
- www.relix.com
2014-02-20
★★★★★
With each passing album since 1998, Minnesota-based singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Mason Jennings has expanded and diversified his sound. What started in rustic, sparse folk traditions has evolved into peppy acoustic pop on his 11th album, Always Been. Jennings enlisted lots of help to broaden his songwriting and recording approaches on his latest LP...
- www.pastemagazine.com
2013-11-21
★★★★★
Since recording his debut album in his living room, Mason Jennings has made the best of his DIY aesthetic, which brings a degree of intimacy and warmth to his otherwise conventional singer-songwriter style. On Minnesota, that warmth and personable tone pay dividends, as many of the songs on Jennings's ninth album are often pretty for the sake of being pretty, and the tempo often slows to a crawl, so the album benefits from having a believable first-person character...
- www.slantmagazine.com
2011-09-26
★★★★★
It's possible to be too productive. While decades ago a lot of musicians pumped out many more records in a much shorter time than we're used to today, it is easy to forget the reams of mediocre work this very often resulted in. A band like the Beatles were the exception, not the rule, as a group of extraordinary creatives who had the immense talent to put out thirteen superb albums in less than eight years...
- www.popmatters.com
2011-09-26
★★★★★
Performing at a tribute concert for Neil Young at Carnegie Hall this past February, Mason Jennings sang "Red Sun," an understated song from Silver & Gold, a relatively obscure Young album from 2000. A few days later, Mason Jennings reprised "Red Sun"--"it's my favorite Neil Young song," he explained--at his own show. "Red Sun" is a song about a contented older couple watching day turn into night, happy to be alone in their small town with each other and not much else...
- www.americansongwriter.com
2011-09-21
★★★★★
Throughout his decade-plus career, Minneapolis surfer-friendly singer-songwriter Mason Jennings has crafted quite the soundtrack to the evolution of the adolescent mind and formation of the beliefs and ideas that come with it, penning tunes navigating religion, quietly angry political anthems (such as his tribute to late Minnesota senator Paul Wellstone), catchy-but-earnest love songs and barefoot festie sing-alongs like "Keepin' It Real" and "I Love You and Buddha Too...
- www.pastemagazine.com
2011-09-19
★★★★★
Album reviews in certain categories have a tendency to blend together, and this is especially true of the singer-songwriter genre. Because the intent of these poets with guitars is a serious one, reviewers often highlight their poetic lyrics, compassion, and depth of perception. This means that when a new singer-songwriter like Mason Jennings appears on the scene, literary qualities, as opposed to musical ones, are emphasized...
- www.popmatters.com
2011-01-20
★★★★★
An accolade to Jesus and every other figure head of varying religions; This song with its lovely sentiments may well just be a metaphor for life, and the way in which the world should really be approaching it all. Mason Jennings and Jack Johnson have created this quirky and light hearted song declaring their love for all religions, showing the world that it's all just the same in the end, we are all just the same. This collaboration is typical of Jack Johnson, but it's a good'un...
- hangout.altsounds.com
2010-11-09
★★★★★
One of the most enjoyable albums you'll hear this year. Rarely do these come along; a singer songwriter who makes you think they could truly do something great one day. I say this in the best of ways, as I believe Mason Jennings is at the very beginning of his journey to greatness. 'In The Ever' has bags full of imaginative riffs, sing-a-long melodies and thought provoking, heart wrenching lyrics...
- www.music-news.com
2010-11-02