"In the Ever" by Mason Jennings (Brushfire Records) - Out now

First things first: Mason Jennings is not Jack Johnson. It’s easy to get confused, since they do sound kind of similar. And they both fit nicely into the mellow folk rock category. This has to be something Jennings considered before signing to Johnson’s label, Brushfire Records. But as his stock grows, the moves seems to be paying off.

The two first crossed paths in 2000 when the fairly unknown singers were opening for Pete Yorn in Minnesota. After Jennings’ set, Johnson took the time to tell him to "keep playing." They’ve been buddies since, and now Jennings is part of the perpetual orbit of singers that tours the globe with Johnson.

But before lumping the two together, give Mason a good listen. There’s something different in there. Where Johnson is all smooth like ocean-tossed pebbles, Jennings is equal parts smooth and jagged. He takes steps Johnson would never take, giving him plenty of separation from his super-huge label boss.

"In the Ever" finds Jennings at his best, crafting a stable of simple but catchy tunes. But what really sticks out about him is the weird Dylanesque twang he inserts at the end of lines. Almost like he’s getting yanked out of a chair by his collar mid-sentence.

It’s an old-school country kind of thing that fits perfectly on a tune like the guitar-and-harmonica diddy "Memphis, Tennessee," and maybe even better on the brooding, yet confident "Your New Man."

But it suits him just as well on the more Johnson-like tunes "Fighter Girl" and "Soldier Boy," adding on another layer of originality.

The simplicity of his approach might be what really draws in Johnson fans, though. He deals openly with faith ("I Love You and Buddha Too" and the spiritual "How Deep is That River) and love (the sweet yet unsappy "Something About Your Love"), but also angry frustration in the freight-train "Going Back to New Orleans."

In the end, Jennings gains more than enough separation from that mellow dude that cheered him on eight years ago. And worst case, he’s still got at least one high-profile fan.

Download this track now: "Fighter Girl"