Mason Owens relies on the purity of the instrument and his vocals. The Scottish accent is a highlight and adds individuality, the chorus sucks you further into a musical extravaganza and his musicality is worth a couple of listens at the least. Early Hours is his new EP, and is a sonic salute to the artists he admires.
Starting with Coming Down, a clear Beatles and Johnny Cash ring is heard not only to the instrument, but the vocal delivery as well. Fairly simple to sing along with, the ringing chorus and harmonics meet like the colors of the rainbow. It makes the song a melody that is retained. Mason Owens uses slight flourishes and simple guitar work to give that powerful Paul Simon reliance to making music.
An acoustic escapade
Fly Away is more minimal in the sense that, the symphony shuffles with the vocals. With a bare minimum soundscape to hook on to, Owens smartly creates a bubble of sound. It is impenetrable because of the sound and emotion that flows from the particular song. His song does initiate flight, the gentle flutter of notes focusing on the verse and consequent chorus. The harmonics really help in highlight the intricate guitar work towards the end.
Stoned in the Valleys makes it a powerful mélange of symphonies and simple guitar work. It is a song for a vagabond, someone who longs for solitude and getting lost deep in thought. The valley is a metaphor that is surreal and powerful to use, Owens doing precisely that with the track. A trusty break of fingerpicking guitar work keeps the rhythm going, a strong Bon Iver reminder in parts.
The one true Simon & Garfunkel type track here, this shows the strengths that Mason Owens hones. The running chime of the guitar keeps the powerful chord progression going, the verses pieces of poetry. See Everyday is a personification of a meadow, nothing trying to distract the listener from the vocals and track. Raw and unpolished, it is an artist with a microphone and 8-track, true musicianship in all levels.
All it takes is recording material
For an indie artist, it is a bold move in a time where people would prefer to hide a lot of the flaws behind deafening beats and the miracle of computers. Mason Owens goes the other way, showing us music as music is. It is baring all soul and emotion for the world to see, it is passion and you’re proud of it.
Listen to his beautiful, elegant album here:
Check out our playlists here!
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Promotional Disclaimer: The content in this post has been sponsored by the artist, label, or PR representative to help promote their work.
Self professed metalhead, moderately well read. If the music has soul, it's whole to me. The fact that my bio could have ended on a rhyme and doesn't should tell you a lot about my personality.
