25. March 2025
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Willy Mason – Already Dead

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Willy Mason - Already Dead

Willy Mason - Already Dead
3.8

Rating

 3.8/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Very good soundwriting
  • Great spiritual sound

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Very intense - which may make the song feel too heavy

Eight or nine years (depending on how you define it) after his previous studio album, Willy Mason is back in the release lists. On 6th August 2021, fans may listen to his Already Dead. I already gave the album a try and share my thoughts with you.

 

Willy Mason – About The Artist

Willy Mason was born right North of New York City in 21st November 1984). He is majorly doing a blend of folk, blues and country music with a very signature style. Later, his family moved to the famous island of Martha’s Vineyard, where he grew up. He debuted with the EP Untitled (G-Ma’s Basement) in 2004 and was really active thereafter. Between that EP and 2013, Wikipedia lists four albums ad eight EPs (as well as a couple of single releases). Thereby, Mason also grew quite some popularity in the United Kingdom as well. After that, however, there is no more release. The 2013 Upstairs at United Vol. 7, which he recorded was Brendon Benson, has been his last one before Already Dead. The promo package does not count that collaboration as a Willy Mason release, by the way. I you are in line with that, Already Dead is the first album since his third studio album Carry On (2012).

 

Willy Mason – Already Dead – Track by Track

The ten track album lasts 32 minutes.

1. Youth On A Spit

With the lyrics

I feel no pain I’ve already bled
You can’t kill me I’m already dead, 

the opener is quite heavy and dark stuff, feeling like a dark rock experience. The lyrics also turn this to some sort of title track of the album. You might either like the song and love it – or it is too much for you.

2. You’d Like To Be Free

After this deep beginning, the second track does not feel to be really happier, but it comes with a clearer sound. There are a lot of electronic elements, the melody line is rather monotonous. A very dark, spiritual album so far.

3. Gilded Lie

Gilded Lie is the first song which reveals Mason’s county and folk background. The lyrics of the song stay deep and dark, but the acoustic sound of the song leads at least to a limited level of ease.

4. Reservation

Reservation was one of the songs released before the album. The present rhythm using the brush almost gives a touch of a jazz track. The melodic part, however, rather faces towards a folk rock track, which is trying to have a very focused sound.

5. Oh My Country

Oh my Country is not really a love letter to the United States. The lyrics state you were born as a branch from a tree of thorns of poison apple poison tree. Again, Mason is putting this into a quiet and spiritual atmosphere, which partially comes with intense background sounds. Despite all that, the track undoubtedly comes with a nice vibe.

6. Slowside

Slowside is rather a 1:47 interlude than a song. Nice addition to the mystical, spiritual atmosphere of Already Dead so far.

7. One Of The Good Ones

The beginning of One Of The Good Ones just does not feel to fit to the Slowside bridge of the album. This seventh track is very repetitive and thus has a touch of meditation music – if there weren’t the very present brass parts.

8. Outwit The Devil

The eighth song is one of my favorite. A three minute sung explanation how to cheat the devil if needed. The song has a nice melody and a good sound without diverting too much from the style of the album. Cool.

9. If There’s A Heart

The social-critic tenor of the album continues. I have turn up the volume by some notches to be able to fully understand what Mason is singing there. Very melancholic sound in a monotonous track, which more or less just feels to consist of one note in the vocals and one chord on the strings.

10. Worth It

With the closing song Worth It, Mason sets a rather melodic track, which also connects to previous releases of the singer-songwriter. Nice track, which is not only the longest song of the album, but also comes with a very rich instrumentation.

 

Willy Mason – Already Dead – Spotify

Here is Already Dead on Spotify:

 

Willy Mason – Already Dead – My View

Music is always a matter of taste as well – but if there was a Love It Or Hate It tag on Flyctory.com, this might be a very reasonable candidate for it. Either you feel overwhelmed by the spiritual elements or you just enjoy stepping into the very special world of music by Willy Mason. There is no doubt about that he is doing good in telling you his musical stories.

 

Music Legends on Flyctory.com

Who belongs to the music legends? Here on Flyctory.com, it’s only me who decides on this:

 

Flyctory.com and Austria

Here are all Flyctory.com postings related to Austria:

 

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