Willy Mason makes me feel bad about myself, and I mean that in the best way possible.

Mason released his first album in 2004, and in the past year or so he's toured with Ben Kweller, Death Cab For Cutie and Radiohead, among others. He won't even turn 23 until November. When I'm his age (which is like, soon), I doubt I'll have the journalistic clout to even be able to interview any of those artists, and by then, Mason might be so big that I couldn't talk to him, either.

It almost seems like Mason's newest release, If the Ocean Gets Rough, was made specifically for those who aspire to be part of the music industry, to quell their anxiety and ride out the wave until they find their places in the world. Instead of making those people feel down about not having accomplished anything of importance yet, Mason pats them on the back and tells them things are going to work out.

Sonically, the album is a little bit more complex than Mason's first effort, with some string arrangements and female backing vocals, but the emphasis remains on his voice. The music serves mostly as a mood-setting backdrop for Mason's resonant words. If his voice was deep on his first release, Where the Humans Eat, he must have gone through puberty another five or six times to get to where he is on If the Ocean Gets Rough. Despite his age, Mason makes it quite obvious he knows what he's doing, instrumentally, lyrically and rationally -- where he shows the most mettle.

On his sophomore album, Mason has become more focused and better paced while still maintaining the gentle reverence that made his first record so hopeful. I'm impressed and, honestly, a little jealous.

Grade: B+

- Reviewed by Adam Clair