Willy Mason – If The Ocean Gets Rough – 094638390329

Willy Mason is a 22-year-old singer/songwriter from Martha’s Vineyard. Careless spelling will lead to confusion with the Australian Rugby League player and hardman, Willie Mason, aka Stone Mason, but your confusion is not likely to last for long.

Mr and Mrs Mason were folk musicians and Willy’s pretty much in that tradition, with a fine line in melody and mostly acoustic backing, but don’t hold that against him. He’s also been described as the new Bob Dylan but his songs are much less sparse than early Dylan, his lyrics far less opaque, and his voice fuller, though it does crack and break at just the right moment.

The album is rich and varied, starting with the up-beat and catchy Gotta Keep Walking, then moving into The World That I Wanted, with its lilting refrain and story of lives wasted, and turns sinister on Simple Town. He always sounds as though he’s relishing his lyrics, which he should, with lines like: “when the disillusioned are cleaned off the streets/will you clean my shirt and hide me from police” from When The Leaves Have Fallen.

His brother, Sam, plays the drums which are nearly always forward in the mix and which drive the whole thing along; it’s over too quickly.