Customer Reviews

Use Your Voice

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been telling people about Mason Jennings for two or three years now, and noone is listening to me. This guy is the real deal. His songs are at times humorous while at other times heart wrenching; sometimes political, sometimes sugar coated gum drop ferry land fun times, but all are amazing. This album is no different. From the very first jumping song "Crown" to the last "Ulysses" which has a familiar "Birds Flying Away" sound to it. LISTEN TO HIS MUSIC!!!!

I believe Mason Jennings falls into that understated category of singer-songwriters similiar to Elliott Smith, Jason Stricklin or Paul Curerri. Music which covers an emotional palette of colors. This music evokes an endless array of private feelings. It deserves to be heralded along with Ryan Adams and Jack Johnson, but perhaps that understatement adds to the charm and coolness in this overrated, corporate radio world.

well i'm no music fanatic. don't really listen to any music not mainstream either with the exception of some underground rap. i heard the song butterfly on a ski video and thought it was the coolest song ever. i went here, listened to a few more songs, and went out and bought the cd. i now love this type of music, and recommend everyone to listen to this. i told my friends about it and they loved it. so we listen to it all the time now. made me realize how much music is out there that i've never heard or known about.

Yeah if you go and read some of Mason's interviews, the reason it is slightly out of tune is cause he said he wanted to get the feel of Bob Dylan's "blood on the tracks", record. I think he did a great job. I tottally got that feeling. Also if you listen to the last song I think it's called "ulysses" it tottally has the feel of a Jack Kerouac book, it seriously gives you chills if you listen to every word.

Use your Voice is a colloction of songs that show how Mason has developed so much in his musical style, yet it is an album much closer to his first sounds then his last few efforts.

The ablility to tell personal stories of one person's life, yet do it in a way that everyone that listens can relate it to theirs is a talent that only a handful of people can do. Mason does it bueatifully here.

This is a album that anyone that enjoys laid back, acuastic story telling can enjoy.

If anything about what people say about this album has peaked your interest, even a little bit, then you owe it to your self to give this album a shot.

I'm always impressed with Jennings ability to capture human emotions in his songs. Overall, this album is very good, and won't be leaving my CD player for a very long time, and I hope it gets some time in yours too. It reminds me of Tim Kirker's .."Like Distant Sounds" album clean, honest and a must have for any music collection.

I somewhat like JackJohnson, don't like RyanAdams, but I love Mason Jennings. This CD is phenominal. It picks up and slows down in all the right places. Great CD for a road trip or someother occasion where you can listen to the entire CD, although each song can stand firmly on it's own.

Mason has a unique and truly soul touching voice. His music and this album especially is so different from any type of music out there today. His music makes you hummmm and hummmm to his deep and melodic voice. Starting off with "Crown", a Dylan-esque song full of the harmonica. "Keepin it real" is a upbeat song that forces you to bounce your head with the beat. "Ballad of paul and sheila" is a slower acoustic song of a story of love, war, and hope. "Southern Cross" is a touching story of faith and hope again bringing back the harmonica. "Drinking as a Religion" is a nice folk song. I've only mentioned 5 songs but each song is different and altogether creates a great album. The only negative about it is that it's only 31 minutes long. A good 15-16 songs would be truly satisfying to all Mason fans. But since he's so good I would buy his next 10 albums if they were only 31 munites long. So go buy it...

In my opinion this album stands toe to toe with Mason Jennings' self-titled debut, if perhaps a bit more polished. Use Your Voice is stripped down to the way the artist is meant to be enjoyed, as if being heard live. The album has more in common with Century Spring and Simple Life than it does with Birds Flying Away, which was filled with more powerful ballads and guitar work. It is as if fans are able to observe Mason's growth as both a musician and a person.
The album opens with Crown, a quick favorite that sets the tone for the rest of the album. The Light II, though much more subtle than its namesake song from BFA, is equally memorable. Though every fan of Mason has different favorites, Ulysses, Lemon Grove Avenue, and Southern Cross have already received added rotation in my CD player. This is a wonderful album, one that I think every fan should own, and that new fans would enjoy as an introduction to Mason Jennings' music.

Some of you foolios are going to hate me for saying this, but I'm going to cut through all this hipster bullcrap and say that Mason Jennings, although a fine lyricist and songwriter, cannot sing. Call it "Dylan", call it "special breathing", the fact is that he either is unable to or refuses to hit any key note dead-on, instead opting to scoop into it. Upon the first couple of listenings, I thought that it was quaint, different, "creative." But, yeah, no. If you're the kind of listener who doesn't mind people singing out of tune, then this'll be a winner for you. but if you're a musician, be warned.