Jennings - Take It Or Leave It

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Jennings – Take It OrLeave It
2012, Mary JenningsIf you were to meet Mary Jennings on the street, you wouldfind her to be sweet and full of light. Standing just a hair over five feettall, Jennings possesses the charm and grace of the archetypical girl next door.  Stepping on the stage to perform, MaryJennings sheds her first name and transforms into a powerful, emotivesinger/songwriter you might never have imagined from the first meeting.  It’s not so much a contradiction as reminderto not judge a book by its cover. Jennings’ stage metamorphosis is stunning, and surprisingly wellcaptured on her latest effort, the live album entitled Take It Or Leave It.

Jennings kicks off the album with “Doorway”, using her muskyvoice to full effect.  The song is amixture of dark and light, wending its way through decisions while beckoningboth success and tragedy.  The strippeddown arrangement is affecting and pretty, and has a disturbing undercurrentthat keeps listeners on the edge of their seats.  “Kaleidoscope”, written on a dare, exploresthe atomic nature of life, with events and people running together and creatingunintended consequences.  The songreaches deep into the bag of metaphor and comes out a winner.  “Falling Higher” explores the juxtapositionof falling in love and moving higher into the emotional spectrum.  This is an amazing immersion in song, full ofemotion, deep thoughts and amazing musical color.“Move” is an exploration of the emotions surrounding thedeath of Jennings’ mother, and is accompanied here with an explanation of howit came to be.  Jennings is at her mostelemental here, delving deep into the shattered psyche of a heart broken bygrief.  The mix is beautiful and tragicall at once, and Jennings lets the song pour out of her like a torrent.  “Figure Me Out” is deeply personal and raw,skating the juncture where a crush becomes equally a boon and a burden.  Jennings’ explanation gives the song a happytwist as well, but I won’t ruin the surprise here.

“Cling To Me” is another deep emotional dive; an offer ofsuccor and love in a friend’s darkest hours. Jennings croons from her heart here, showing all the colors and shadingsof her emotive voice.  “Surrender” digsat the motives of a friend who just never gives in, fighting to be right evenwhen all the evidence is against them. Jennings punctuates her frustration with the piano, redressing the illswith a voice that bleeds psyche, love and regret.  Jennings says goodnight with “Take It OrLeave It”, a pop singer/songwriter turn that thrives in the arpeggio-ladenpiano that drives it.  Even in the livesetting, this song is radio-ready; highly emotive yet compact and well-written.Mary Jennings knows how to deliver a song.  Her highly personal and emotional singingstyle is raw and captivating.  It’s thesort of performance that keeps audiences rapt with attention; leaning in towardthe stage do they don’t miss a thing.  Take It Or Leave It captures the energyand power of a Jennings performance for those who haven’t been lucky enough tosee her live, or for those who have and want to recapture the moment.  Don’t miss this album.
Rating: 4.5 Stars(Out of 5)

Learn more about Jennings at www.jennings-music.com or on Facebook or Twitter.