Jennings opens the album with the plea “Come home, bitter heart/Let go and love,” saturating the weighty pauses between austere piano chords with “fear and hate and doubt.” On “No Relief”, another pained, piano-driven song, he stretches his voice to wail about “the love that’s tearing [them] apart.” It’s reminiscent of the ragged scream in Blood of Man’s “The Field”, Jenning’s soliloquy as a father whose son was killed in battle.

Minnesota, on the other hand, falters when Jennings expresses himself in allegories. On the somewhat didactic “Wake Up”, alcoholic musician finally sobers up to the distant tune of a backing choir and gently repetitive guitars. And “Rudy”, whose medieval narrator expresses concern for his “family and [his] home” due to a king’s misdeeds, feels contrived, especially since Jennings sings so honestly on the rest of the album.

On “Clutch”, Jennings wonders, “What was so rough/Was it the freedom that freaked us out,” regarding a young relationship. The tempo builds as the images intensify, resulting in an irreverent, tambourine-stomping chorus. And a couple devoting their lives to each other reveals an endearing vulnerability on “Raindrops On the Kitchen Floor”, whose “What a Wonderful World”/”When I’m Sixty-Four” arrangement includes backing vocals by Jason Schwartzman. In the end, Jennings’ truthfulness more than makes up for Minnesota‘s minor setbacks.

Essential Tracks: “Clutch”, “Raindrops On the Kitchen Floor”, and “Bitter Heart”

According to an issued press release, Jennings employed his familiar friends on piano and electric guitar as he wavered between the light and playful and the dark and compelling that developed into a “diverse collage of sound” with vivid vocals. One track, “Well of Love”, uses a mambo-inspired beat, which leads one to believe that the depths of affection may be murky waters. Other track names were revealed, such as “Bitter Heart”, “Raindrops On . . .”, “Clutch”, “Witches Dream”, “Rudy”, and “No Relief”.

“This is a record about home and heart,” said Jennings on his official website. “It seemed fitting to call it Minnesota because Minnesota is home to my heart. It was recorded here through a full year’s cycle of seasons and I think the music reflects that, from gentle spring to sparse winter. I followed the piano as one might follow a river and let it branch out to wherever the music took me. As the recordings developed I asked some friends to play on the recordings and that widened the palette even more. But through it all the main theme was home and heart.”

Minnesota will drop on September 13th via Stats & Brackets/Thirty Tigers.

Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock’s side-project Ugly Casanova contributed eight songs to the film’s soundtrack while Shins/Broken Bells leader James Mercer shares two, one of which is a cover of Neil Young’s “Journey Through the Past”. Jack Johnson!, Love as Laughter, and Mason Jennings will also be heard on the soundtrack when it sees release on June 22nd via Brushfire.

According to a press release (via P4k), 180° South “retraces Yvon Chouinard’s and Doug Tompkins’ epic 1968 journey to Patagonia through the eyes of adventurer Jeff Johnson.” In addition, the film also involves efforts to protect Patagonia from development.

You can watch the film’s trailer below. Screenings are scheduled to take place in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Austin, and Asheville between April and July.

180° South Tracklist:
01. Ugly Casanova – “Mountains of Storms”
02. Ugly Casanova – “Here’s to Now”
03. Mason Jennings – “Machines”
04. James Mercer – “Doug’s Theme”
05. Ugly Casanova – “Wave Goodbye”
06. Ugly Casanova – “Lonesome Blues”
07. James Mercer – “Journey Through the Past”
08. Ugly Casanova – “Hotcha Girls”
09. Jack Johnson – “Spring Wind”
10. Ugly Casanova – “Maybe We’re Lost”
11. Ugly Casanova- “Corcovado”
12. Love as Laughter – “Coconut Flakes”
13. Ugly Casanova – “The Geezer”
14. Ugly Casanova – “Lay Me Down”

Mason Jennings, born in 1975 in Honolulu, Hawaii, is part of a rare breed of musicians who, in my book, truly earns the title of, Self Made. He spent most of his early musical career in the trenches, playing the local clubs of Minneapolis, recording his albums in the living room of his apartment and selling them directly out of the back of his van. This benefited Jennings greatly, allowing him to maintain complete creative control and freedom over his music. He has come a long way since those days though, having released his last two albums with “Glacial Pace”, the subsidiary of Epic Records, headed by Modest Mouse’s frontman, Isaac Brock. His latest album, In the Ever, due out May 20^th, will be released on Jack Johnson’s label, Brushfire Records.

Jennings singer/songwriter style is a combination of pop, easy listening, country, folk with slight hand of blues. He has a talent for writing smart lyrics and catchy melodies that stick with you long after you’ve heard them. His lyrics are sometimes cheesy and lighthearted but always in a style that is fully self-aware. He also taps into more serious topics of love, sadness, death, and politics with complete clarity of voice and emotional honesty.

I definitely plan on seeing Mason Jennings if my schedule permits and I would recommend the same for you. This is not a mandatory assignment, but I would consider checking him out if you fit any of the following scenarios…

1. You’ve heard and liked any of his albums and are looking for a mellow act to just chill out to.
2. He’s playing a daytime set under a tent and you want a break from the sun or maybe even to catch a nap.
3. The only other options are Vampire Weekend, O.A.R or Against Me!
4. You have no agenda and don’t know or don’t like any other bands playing the current timeslot.
5. All of the above.

Check Out: 

Mason Jennings – “Crown”