Ray Mason Band – Three Dollar Man
Hailing from western Massachusetts, Ray Mason has been turning out solid songs and albums for a couple decades — under his own name, with his band, and with the Lonesome Brothers duo. He’s a model of commitment and belief, all wrapped up in a good-natured work ethic.
Three Dollar Man bristles with the supple interplay of a seasoned band that hones their arrangements live before going into the studio. That said, with their regular producer Jim Weeks at the board, they’ve fearlessly expanded the sound, allowing production flourishes to take them in whatever direction the song dictates.
The band can easily morph from the snaky groove of “I’ve Got A Good Dentist” to the Steely Dan-like “Someone I Can’t Get Over”. The leadoff track “Blessing The Girl” is an incessantly rocking slice of pop that gloriously melds acoustic guitar, keyboards, perfect background vocals and chimes to the core quartet foundation.
Mason has a history of creating off-kilter yet naturally flowing lyric hooks, and this album has its fair share. From “Footrest” (and its repeating “There’s a card that I’ve got to send”) to “Reverb And A Zip Code”, the lines leap out with a novel gentility.