ALBUM REVIEW: Morning People – Mason Lowe
It is surprising how one of the lowest times in your life can produce some positivity. When MASON LOWE, drummer for rock band BREAD & BUTTER, found himself in the midst of both his personal life being a wreck and the COVID pandemic, he thought that the lyrics for his debut solo album might reflect this. Instead, the first track he came up with was a candid and delightful song about having a crush on someone. The rest of the album follows the same pattern, and none of the songs reach the three-minute mark – inspired by 1960s and 1970s bands such as THE BEACH BOYS and BIG STAR.
From the first note of Plastered, the album is as bright as the artwork suggests. Full of a swaggering grunge-pop beat, the opening song is a fun, summer-ready number, the only issue is the next track Whiplash sounds almost identical to it, to the point that it almost feels like one very long song. This is an issue that plagues the a lot of the album. Whilst the songs are happy-go-lucky, there is not enough experimentation throughout in order to differentiate the songs from each other. For example, Stoned And Cold is a guitar-driven song, with a guitar solo and harmonies mixed in halfway through the song. The catchy chorus is an earworm, and it is reminiscent of the tracks of yesteryear, but much the same could be said for Hanging Around. Whilst the song is a quirky love song with heart-warming lyrics about falling in love, the instrumental arrangement is – again – almost indistinguishable from the previous song.
It might be forgivable to have two similar sounding songs on the same album if they were spread out a bit more. Unfortunately, that is not the case here. It is a shame that the similarity looms over this album, because Lowe is clearly very talented. He has a very pleasant voice to listen to, and it is clear to see that this album was a passion project for him. Things do thankfully improve as the album continues. You Got The Touch is a fast-paced song, full of fantastic vocals and a danceable beat that is reminiscent of the Monster Mash. It leans fully into the 60s sound and is all the better for it, bringing some diversity to the album when it is so desperately needed.
If You Ever Change Your Mind is a slow, raw and vulnerable song that shows a softer side to Lowe. The slow-paced song could have potentially ruined the overall pacing of the album, which has been rather fast up until this point, but the song is such a welcome surprise that actually helps the album not become a one-note wonder. There are also a wide variety of instruments being used, such as a xylophone, which adds a new side to the song. In fact, the album manages to redeem itself a fair bit during the last four songs. It introduces a wide range of songs that sound different, and also have different tempos and pacing. It is just a shame that this happens at the very end of the album, not throughout it, which creates a disjointed listening experience.
Overall, it is unfortunate that the bad outweighs the good on Morning People, because it has potential. MASON LOWE is a fantastic singer, and his vocals really shine on this album, but the first three quarters of the record are all cut from the same cloth, creating a sound that ultimately feels far too samey. On the other hand, the last few songs are some of the best on the album, creating a varied sound that doesn’t upset the overall pacing, whilst also showing off its potential. It is just a shame that what we heard at the end wasn’t what we heard on the whole album. However, if the future sound continues like those last few songs, then MASON LOWE still has a bright future ahead of him.
Rating: 6/10
Morning People is set for release on June 23rd via Killroom Records.
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