Mason Jennings - New Album

Mason Jennings has announced that his 8th studio album, Blood of Man, will be released on the 15th September 2009. This is Mason's 2nd release for Jack Johnson's label Brushfire Records and I am looking forward to hearing it more than any other release on this years schedule. The new album was produced by Mason and he has also played all the instruments for the first time.

For my money, Mason Jennings is the greatest songwriter of our time and is very underrated, especially in Australia. For anyone who has not heard Mason Jennings before, do yourself a favour and give him a try. His distinctive voice and ability to write clever, amusing and thoughtful lyrics should make him as popular as his label boss Jack Johnson, but unfortunately mentioning his name usually ellicits blank stares. Hopefully this album will be the one that breaks him as artist and it might entice to make another trip down to Australia. I was lucky enough to see him twice on a weekend back in 2003 when he supported The Beautiful Girls and his version of "Bulls on Parade" on an acoustic guitar is one of the best live covers I have ever seen. Here is a statement from the man himself on the upcoming album:

“I can’t wait to get out on the road and play the new songs from Blood of Man. This batch of songs is so intensely personal, so dark, and so rocking that I am a little afraid of what will happen. That’s why I am bringing out my good friends Brian McLeod on drums and Chris Morrissey on bass. I will be playing a lot of electric guitar and I can honestly say that I have no idea what will be conjured up. I only know that it will be really open, really loud and really real.” -Mason Jennings

Here is a great short film with Mason discussing the new album Blood of Man. I also found a couple of songs played acoustic from the new album and some classic Mason for newcomers.









(Not Official Video)