James Mason - Carnival Sky
(Sonoface)
Carnival Sky is like the story of Tinkerbell and Peter Pan; ever read it? Tinkerbell is the small, yellow light and graceful multi-instrumentalist, plucking away on her kind mandolin. Carnival Sky contains some of the prettiest instrumentation ever to settle in these ears, courtesy of Tink. She is nimble; never has any trouble stretching her wings and fluttering high into the sky. Peter Pan is more awkward, unsure of himself, never able to fly quite as high or quickly. James Mason's voice similarly bearable, but rather like a heavy weight preventing Tink from reaching any heights.
For those who don't know, James Mason is a Virginian with a soft spot for Nick Drake and Elliott Smith, among others. Carnival Sky, despite its seemingly straight-forward sound, requires a few listens to pick up on the textures and subtleties. "Memorize Your Favorite Dream," for example, travels down a well-trodden road, but has enough little guitar tricks and vibes to lead you to some unexpected treasure. This track is the album's highlight, and Mason's singing augments the instrumentation nicely. Basically, finger-picked guitar rarely sounds this good, as evidenced by tracks such as "Laura's Stones," where Mason is as graceful as a harpist. Oh, but the mediocre singing strikes again. Speak up James!
Somehow, James Mason will find a place to nestle in your musical abode, if you give him a chance. Honestly, if you don't get a little weepy after the opening notes of "Silver Spades," you are just a little too jaded; until the singing comes in that is. Mason is basically a talented singer/songwriter, however, next time he should release Carnival Sky the instrumental version.
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