Jenny Gillespie Mason has made music that this site has found interesting. Usually those were released under some variation of her band name, Sis. Now, with In the Safety of the Light, Mason is trying a more direct approach. And the results are quite lovely.
"I Thought I Was Surrendered" mixes Laurel Canyon vibes with Mason's warm, honeyed vocals. Elsewhere, "Medicine of Light" adds strings and a folk guitar to make the down-tempo rambler even more charming. This material isn't as adventurous as Jenny Gillespie Mason's earlier efforts as Sis, but it's quite soothing. That seems to be intentional as the songs have a definite New Age-y self-help vibe to them.
In the Safety of the Light is pleasant. Mason's voice is enough to make this worth a listen, especially for fans of stuff like very early Sarah McLachlan and Jane Siberry. Jenny's vocals do sometmes make one think of Joni Mitchell, but, of course, the material isn't quite as nimble as stuff like Court and Spark. Jenny Gillespie Mason seems to operating with a desire to create soothing music that makes a listener reflect on positive things and all that. And, to paraphrase Stuart Smalley, that's okay.
In the Safety of the Light by Jenny Gillespie Mason is out now. Details below.
[Photo: Uncredited press photo]