Albums
If the Ocean Gets Rough
2006
Genre: Pop
Release Date: 2006
By Grayson Currin
Reviewed March 13, 2007
On his Astralwerks debut and second album overall, this troubador's homespun songs rest in a bed of alt-country and 1970s singer-songwriter sonic signifiers.
It was never a secret that Willy Mason is a seeker. "Gotta keep movin', gotta keep movin', gotta keep moving with a troubled mind a-followin'." Those were the first words of his 2005 debut, Where the Humans Eat. As auditions from singer-songwriters go, Humans was all over the map, comfortable both in its stylistic diversions and idiosyncratic touches. Wistful longings, blues fevers, didactic flurries-- it was all there. When Mason sang about traveling, individuality, and solidarity, he was an imperfect guy moving with a worn guitar. Compelling even if sometimes a bit naïve, Mason made for a believable seeker.