The sunny songs, which carry a different expression and jambalaya-like beat, aren't my favorites either, though they aren't bad. "Jackson Square" has a honky-tonk feel to it, "Some Say I'm Not" has a strange shangri-la vibe, and "Where the Sun Has Been" feels completely alien compared to the rest of the CD, but these songs just add to the album's character and hardly take away from its quality. The only real qualm I have with Boneclouds, oddly, has to do with Jennings' organic voice: although incredibly comforting, it hardly ever shows emotion. I'm not sure if it would hurt the album, but it piques my curiosity to see what would happen if Jennings could belt out more of a ballad from time to time. Still, with or without overt emotion, Mason Jennings' voice pours through each of these songs with such subtlety and care, you're a robot if his old-fashioned charms don't draw you in.
Reviewed by Laura Misjak
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