The Wake

Matt Jennings, sibling of acclaimed singer/songwriter Mason Jennings, moved from Pittsburgh to Minneapolis in high school to play in his brother’s band. His stint as the bassist, and then drummer, didn’t last long. He opted instead to go back to school; upon graduation, he found himself traveling the world. He studied Spanish in Mexico, and then spent some time teaching English in South China and Thailand. When he returned home, he assembled a band and self-released his debut, Two Become One, in the summer of 2005.

Having spent time playing in the different areas of his travel, Jennings’ guitar playing is a fusion of several different styles and cultures. The percussive strumming of opener, “The Tortoise and the Hare,” alludes to images of two combating lover as his tango cadence intertwines with long stretches of flamenco style guitar interludes. More of this Spanish and other worldly influences take precedent on the title track, “When Two Become One,” as Jennings dances his fingers across the seemingly endless neck of guitar. Lyrically, all nine tracks seem to be slowly drawn out testaments to various female contemporaries. Two exceptions are the restless for more adventure, “Globetrekker,” and the life path questioning, “The Outer Limits.” They’re a far cry from the effortlessly catchy tunes crafted by older brother Mason, but that’s not what he’s aiming at. It’s an eclectic mesh of his international guitar capacity and is well worth a listen.

I give this album a 6.5 out of 10 on Carl’s, less callous than Pitchfork yet more rational than RollingStone, scale of review.