Brent Mason lights up the room with Fireflies
By; Doug Gallant • The Guardian | March 31, 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic placed a lot of artists in a holding pattern.
There were limited opportunities for live performances and even those that went ahead did so with much smaller audiences because of capacity restrictions implemented by public health officials.
The pandemic also forced some artists to pull back on plans for broad release of new work because they were unable to tour in support of those releases.
New Brunswick singer-songwriter Brent Mason had originally planned to release Fireflies early in 2020 with a whole series of live shows around the region, but the pandemic forced him to cancel all the release shows in the Maritimes.
He ultimately ended up doing a solo live release show from the chicken coop he converted into his studio space.
The album finally did get the release it deserved, and it is definitely a keeper.
Mason, who has multiple ECMA and Music New Brunswick Awards to his credit, is a first-class storyteller, and he has woven together several stories here that will hold your attention and keep you coming back for another go around. Whether he’s writing about the ups and downs of personal relationships or troubling events that impact our quality of life, he never misses the mark.
He wrote the songs on this record during what he described as a pretty intense period for him personally and in terms of what was going on in the world around us.
“But some of it still seems fresh and relevant — apocalyptic toe-tappers like Frogs (In A Pot), White Rats, Give Your Head A Shake. Even Monticello,” Mason said Monday during a brief exchange of messages.
Musically, Mason has taken some risks here, from the way he approaches the vocals and the guitar work on the album to the diversity of the material. While he’s still crafting material that embraces his deep folk roots, he also cranks out some material here that muscles its way through country blues, full-throttle country rock and, in the case of Frogs In The Pot, a hybrid of swamp rock, reggae and joyous New Orleans funeral march music.
Fast facts
Brent Mason is the recipient of multiple East Coast Music Awards and Music New Brunswick Awards.
He is the youngest recipient of the Stompin’ Tom Award for his contributions to Atlantic Canadian music traditions.
Mason has hosted a regular open mic night at O’Leary’s in Saint John for more than 25 years.
He’s also a published writer and a filmmaker.
The new record, produced by Grant Heckman and Tim Davidson, will catch some of his older fans by surprise, especially when he cranks it up on more muscular tracks like Running Out of Road or Deja Blues or brings in the horn section on Frogs In A Pot.
But those who have a soft spot for Mason’s softer, the folky side will still find plenty here to wrap their head around on tracks like Cold Love, Fireflies and Monticello.
This is an easy record to get attached to. The songs are solid, Mason’s vocals have seldom, if ever, sounded better and Mason and the players behind him flex some serious musical muscle when they shift into overdrive. Love the guitar work here by Mason, Grant Heckman and Aaron Gunn.
Rating: 4 out of 5