JASON MASI
PRESS
"...Onetime front man of rock band Jubeus, this Virginia-based singer/songwriter offers an indelible effort with his third full-length release, Power of a Woman. There’s no one else carrying off this style with such an effortless combination of panache and soul. Masi’s vocals are a complex stew of pure pop magic peppered with a strong bluesy undercurrent never far below the surface. Strengthened by superb production, Masi invokes love, lust, the joys of companionship, and the challenges of sharing your life with another human being.
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The album kicks off with the slick urban blues of “How To Be Rich”. There’s an appealing effervescent sweep in Masi’s music, but it never lacks grit or genuine soul. The key, however, is that Masi never overplays that grit and this decision keeps the songs from descending into overwrought theatricality. The Hammond organ deep in the mix is a nice touch that gives the song additional sonic depth. “Power of a Woman” has a stronger blues edge than the opener, but the chorus opens up on a wider rock canvas. The contrast between the understated verses and blustery chorus is very effective. His lyrically complex take on male-female relations play on some well-worn popular song clichés, but he synthesizes these elements in a dramatic fashion.
Masi strikes with some slinky light funk on the smoky gem “I Will Make It Up To You”, but the unusual narrative of the lyrics will likewise capture a listener’s attention. This track highlights one of the album’s greatest musical strengths comes from the steady drumming that pushes each song. “Woman Will You Be My Friend” is, perhaps, the album’s highlight. The inventive arrangement brings each emotion to the fore with powerful clarity and Masi’s sensitive vocal wrings every ounce of drama from the lyrics. The lazy shuffle is equal parts R&B and big city blues, but the warm guitar licks simmer with passion.
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The theme of relationships continues with “Good Things”, a delicate invocation of lessons learned, and the worth of generosity. Masi’s earnest, deeply emotive vocal is hard to ignore and sounds like an ideal vehicle for what is, essentially, a very simple song about a less than simple phenomenon. Masi couldn’t have ended the album any better than he does with the closer “Amends”. This has been, from first song to last, a nuanced and mature work about the challenges of living with those we love and the final song is a marvelous restatement of that concern. It manifests itself here as an exploration of restitution and forgiveness. If Jason Masi isn’t working at or near the peak of his artistic powers, one shudders with excitement to imagine what comes next. This is a memorable effort from the first song to last and authored by a top shelf songwriter backed by sympathetic, imaginative musicians."
10/10 Stars
Jason Hillenberg-Indie Artist Alliance
"To be honest I can’t say enough about Masi’s overall appeal and signature sound. While the deep soulful lyrics and impressive musical talent seem to reach far beyond his years, an unmistakable and pulsating youthful energy permeates his songs. There is a certain fearlessness in the music. Combining a present voice, versatile guitar skills and a spectrum of emotion, Masi is emerging as a formidable emotional man's writer and musician. His songs resonate, and are as likely to move you as they are to get stuck in your head..." "Masi has a sound that favors many male pop artists in the late 70’s like Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, The Band and Bread but with a modern-day feel. In this respect I can also hear Joe Purdy, Griffin House, Eric Hutchinson, Barefoot Truth and Animal Liberation Orchestra. I’ve never heard an artist so skillfully combine so many genera’s into one unique sound."
Micah Barry - Indie Shark
"The sound is that of the golden era of popular music in the eighties and the nineties when musicianship mattered! But the beauty of this is the use of all mod-cons forcing Masi’s relevance into the modern world. Masi should achieve good support from radio and appears to be a critical darling in certain places like Virginia and all over the radio, but I am left bemused how he is not yet a household name. It’s not a case of all the elements being present but the final product being missing as the songs, the musicianship, the production, and the performance all knit together beautifully-even brilliantly. Maybe I’m lucky enough to be in on the ground floor? Maybe things are just about to kick on for Masi?"
Joseph Martinelli - Skope Magazine
“Most would agree most popular artists out there have something truly special to give to their fans. This goes above the typical attributes like raw talent, amazing songs, nice voice, or even a very marketable look, sound & image. There’s something truly infectious at the core of these artists that simply makes us feel good when we listen to them. Whatever “it” is – they all seem to have “it”. ... "most famous artists out there have “it” I’m not so sure what “it” is but Jason Masi has whatever “it” may be."..."Let me go on record and say Jason Masi is a SONY record deal waiting to happen. I also wouldn’t be surprised to hear his music on Prime Time Radio someday or even featured in a Major Motion Picture or TV production in the near future."
RJ Frometa - Vents Magazine
"Right from the start it might be easy to just categorize Masi as some straight ahead young and run of the mill folk rocker, and write him off as the newest trending thing around the East Coast. It wouldn’t be wise, though."...some bands and artists can deliver music that’s pretty straight forward, conservative and painfully simple yet brilliant in scope. Bottom line: they make it look so easy. Furthermore in lieu of the amazing string of songs Masi has delivered, it almost feels as if he’s on to something, well special. This latest release from Masi is a one of a kind CD from a one of a kind artist that’s closely tied to classic pop, blues-rock-soul, but has a more modern light rock sound to it. Bravo to Masi for being himself, going against the pop grain and releasing powerful music. Jason Masi will please a wide range of musical personalities in the process."
Alice Freeman - Bandblurb
"Masi manages to capture a sound that is old yet surprisingly fresh all at the same time. Trust me when I say there are legions of fans waiting for this guy to arrive..." "this CD may be the most impressionable, genuine, artistic CD I've heard this year...Jason Masi and his production team have the courage to write and play music the way he wants to. A far cry from the sell out corporate puppet show bands the masses are scratching their heads at. Whereas 90% of the bands could care less about this approach as they just want to make labels happy. This is one of the most important attributes for me when reviewing music."
Seth Turner - Music Emissions
"Multi-talented singer-songwriter Jason Masi is plowing a row for himself as an independent artist in a field where having a unique and distinctive sound is becoming increasingly uncommon. A talented singer-songwriter his vocals blend naturally with the rich instrumentation and the songs are imbued with a classic feel reminiscent of new folk favorites like Blitzen Trapper, Iron and Wine, or even some of the folksier songs from The Shins." ..The Bottom Line: {} Jason Masi is well-suited for audiences that enjoy all the typical conventions of Folk-Pop-Americana and more. Even slight elements of Singer/Songwriter mood music and earthy Jazzy pop. Expect great things from Masi as his cult fanbase gets established along the East Coast and beyond. I feel there’s a disgruntled audience out there just waiting for him to arrive with open arms."
Elliot Coleman - ALLWHATSROCK
“Jason Masi seems to be punching all the right tickets. He is a hot running artist/band from Virginia. His latest album is accessible by most anyone that has a heartbeat...”
Alexander Belafonte - Rocknrollview
“All songs are a skillful combination of modern pop rock yet with a slight alternative rock aftertaste that will remind you of Daniel Powter, Shayne Ward, James Blunt and James Morrison to John Mayer. Masi has the creativity and songwriting prowess to be extremely dangerous. There is also a unique quality to this catalogue that breaks the mold when compared to the mundane pop-rock that’s been filling the airwaves lately. What am I trying to say – well let me start by saying there is nothing fake and superficial about Jason Masi. Not every square inch is filled with musical ambience delivered under duress – but musical space that allows the music to breathe on its own with passion that cannot be faked. Equally as impressive is how marketable this catalogue truly is. It covers so much ground and despite this it manages to not spread itself too thin across too many lines – nice touch.”
Devin Hester - Indie Music Reviews
“There is a real retro, classic soul element to this. That works really well. Sure, this is modern, too. It also works into other territory like country and jazz. I suppose it’s best to describe this as modern pop music with a lot of soul and more built into it. Whatever you call it, though, this is strong.”
G.W. Hill - Music Street Journal
“Jason Masi is easily one of our top-requested acoustic performers and his full band is always well-loved whether a typical club booking, or corporate or festival event. I book approximately 5000 events annually and work with 500+ acts but Jason is always one of the first musicians to come to mind when I am seeking acoustic or variety band entertainment. He has a wide variety of material that suits any occasion and I'm always confident the client will be pleased when they book Jason or his band for their event or venue. He consistently receives remarkable feedback from our clients, and is an absolute joy to work with. ”
Amber Therese-Foster - VP OF LAST CALL ENTERTAINMENT
"Masi has a very soulful voice…You can clearly hear southern roots in his music with bluesy riffs and wonderful storytelling"
Little Rat Bastard
"Masi knows how to write songs, even better, he knows how to perform them. Masi doesn't oversell anything. There isn't a hint of strain anywhere, which is impressive and unusual."
Aidabet.com
"A great deal of commercial appeal for an underground release…We could easily hear these songs being picked up by commercial radio or as backing music for a number of cable television programs..Good solid stuff delivered with heart and soul."
Babysue.com
"Major USP is Masi's voice, which is one of those soulful ones that could make the back of a Cornflakes Packet sound sultry. He can emote with the best of them too…"
Americana UK
"Jason Masi is someone you want to get to know, become familiar with his sounds, his lyrics, and then go find him at as many outdoor music festivals as possible."
LoveSound Magazine