Jenny Gillespie Mason finds solace in a collection of wistful and dreamy outings.

RETURN TO INTIMACY

A return to the intimacy of the acoustic guitar after more than a decade exploring psychedelic pop, jazz, and electronic textures through her project Sis, Jenny Gillespie Mason conjures up a dreamy and wistful set of songs. Noted as straightforward and accessible, a more spiritual leaning draws on her practice as an aspiring yogi, her life as a mother and wife, and her deep engagement with the teachings of Mother Mirra Alfassa.

“ A project that was building in me for quite a few years,” she says while paying tribute to the kind, calm and creative contribution of Noah Georgeson, playing the role of critical friend. Mason and Georgeson had hoped to work together for several years, long inspired by his production work with folk visionaries Bert Jansch and Vashti Bunyan. The subsequent cycle of songs come shaped in part by the spirit of these undersung artists, adding what might come packaged as a Mason-esque Summer warmth.

WHISPERS AND WASHES

Horizontal and I Thought I Was Surrendered set the tone – the latter with a slightly grander yet still understated arrangement yet retaining the subtlety that pervades the set. Brief whispers of flute and washes of textures provide the most gossamer of embellishments as the journey begins, taking in a wide range of inspiration and terrain. The relaxed mood provides a common thread and some will wallow not only in the lushness (and safety) of the light, but enjoy joining some dots in the musical framework.

The soft majesty of Medicine Of Light drifts easily into a gorgeous swell of and along with fellow single, the more acoustic based Rungs Of Love, ascends the fragile course twixt earthly love and higher devotion. Inspired, if that’s the right term, a long sleepless night in a New York City hotel room, has the narrator imagining the Divine Mother answering a plea to heal a traumatised world in the ‘dream prayer’ Touch Everyone On Earth.

SONIC GLOW

Bathed in the retro sonic glow that might transport some back to the idyllic visions of the Sixties, the album also draws on the sonic inspirations where ambient atmospheres are the key element in swaying moments of bliss, or to more cosmic folk incantations. The latter perhaps the most prevalent in Perseus which explores a past life in the ancient mysteries of Eleusis

More at home Woman From Nottingham recalls a college professor who implored her students to remember the beauty of the Earth just hours after the events of 9/11. Gentle harp and more of breathy wind provide the decoration to another ethereal vocal. Not necessarily the grand finale, more a conclusion to a consistently charming and thoughtful collection. A lesson in less is more finesse.

Here’s Medicine Of Light:

Jenny Gillespie Mason: Instagram

At The Barrier: Facebook / X  / Instagram