Mason Jennings + Charlie Mars

Signed for a time to Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records, singer-songwriter Mason Jennings seasons his rootsy folk-rock with hints of Beatlesy pop and dashes of playful humor. Opening up, Mississippi blues-popster Charlie Mars offers shuffling beats and warm, woozy tunes that suggest—you guessed it—Jack Johnson. His new album, Blackberry Light, is apparently inspired by Haruki Murakami and Cormac McCarthy, not his smartphone.