Willy Mason 'Where the Humans Eat' album

October 12th 2004 sees the release of the outstanding debut album from Martha's Vineyard native Willy Mason. Much more than just another singer/songwriter, 2004 has seen his firm establishment on the music scene.

It certainly has been a remarkable year or so for Mason, who only graduated from High School last year and is still only 19. Performing with his family since around the age of 11 (both parents are professional recording artists, and his 16-year-old brother Sam plays drums on the record), his break came following a backstage meeting with Conor Oberst. The Bright Eyes' frontman was suitably impressed and soon signed him to his new project, Team Love, alongside labelmate Tilly And The Wall.

He has already opened for an array of artists, from The Grateful Dead to Ben Kweller, Death Cab For Cutie to Roseanne Cash. His retro, can't-quite-put-your-finger-on-it sound combined with 21st century, media savvy and social commentary lyrics gives him a wide appeal to listeners. The album is filled with a diverse collection of songs written by Mason, who says optimistically, "We can speak louder than ignorance", while on the other hand makes criticism of modern society in "The dry erase board on your front door shows the world your personality".

The record's lively opener, "Gotta Keep Movin'", quite accurately describes the life Mason has been leading as of late. Highlights of the album include "Our Town", written after a less than amicable confrontation with NYC cops, "Where The Humans Eat", a song about his cats, and the catchy "So Long". Two of the songs from his previously recorded EP, the soon-to-be-released single "Hard Hand To Hold" and radio favourite "Oxygen" also appear on the full length record.

After listening to the album, one gets a sense of intimate, personal acquaintance with Mason. Most of the songs are clearly autobiographical; 2 were sprung from written communications with a friend, and "21st Century Boy" is written in ode to another friend who passed away. Mason advises, "You're just a kid, you shouldn't read Dostoevsky at your age", but this is obviously one kid well ahead of his time.

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Willy Mason - Where the Humans Eat