Sophisticated California pop from Los Angeles prodigy
Los Angeles pop-rock is returning with a vengeance. Matthew Szlachetka’s recent Waits for a Storm conjures Jackson Browne and Bob Welch, and Mason Summit’s second self-produced album suggests Brian Wilson’s Pet Sounds era, alongside the ‘80s East Coast work of Chris Stamey. That’s heady company for a 19 year old, but Summit’s something of a prodigy (and a prolific one, at that), laying down electric and acoustic guitars, bass and organ alongside an impressive assemblage that includes producer John McDuffie’s pedal and lap steel, Zander Schloss’ bass, Lynn Coulter and Shawn Nourse’s drums and Carl Byron’s keyboards.
Summit’s got a sweet voice whose high, keening notes may remind you of another aficionado of L.A pop, the Explorers Club’s Jason Brewer; when Summit double-tracks himself, it may remind you of Elliot Smith. Again, impressive company, but unlike most teenagers, Summit’s deeply schooled in a broad range of music and sufficiently self-reflective to have something to say. Brian Wilson had to think back on his teen years from his early 20s, but Summit’s in the thick of puzzling out relationships, developing political ideals and sorting through newly discovered passions. He writes in an authentic teenaged voice that’s sincere and surprisingly polysyllabic. [©2015 Hyperbolium] 