Mason Jennings: Century Spring : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Much like kindred spirit Billy Bragg, this young midwesterner can't quite decide if he wants to use his guitar to kill fascists or to coax some amour from a prospective lover -- but he's got a pretty good batting average from either side of the plate. Jennings has drawn frequent Dave Matthews comparisons -- in large part due to his lazy, carefree drawl (best showcased here on the sighing "Living in the Moment") -- but he's not nearly as jam-oriented as the Bard of Charlottesville. Working rather comfortably in a classic pop territory previously seeded by folks like McCartney and Elton, Jennings manages to reconcile grand schemes (like the piano framing of "Killer's Creek") with no-frills troubadoursy (the downcast-yet-resilient "Sorry Signs on Cash Machines"). While a bit less salty than Jennings' previous pair of self-released discs, Century Spring is mottled with a sonic spice blend subtle enough to keep listeners nibbling around the edges for a good while to come.

DAVID SPRAGUE
(March 26, 2002)