Bristol-born singer-songwriter Harri Mason returns with her third full-length album, Reality of Expectations, released on May 10, 2024. Entirely self-produced in her home studio, the 13-track project carries forward the intimate thread of her earlier records New Normal (2019) and Shadows (2022), but this time with a sharper resilience and maturity. Known for her blend of soft rock influences—from Springsteen’s blue-collar grit to Fleetwood Mac’s layered melodies—Mason makes intimate yet widescreen music, rooted in vulnerability while swelling with anthemic energy.
The opener “Compare” lays it bare from the start. Driven by thumping drums and guitar strums, Mason’s voice rises with conviction as she confesses how easily she slips into measuring her life against others. When she sings, “Kids are craving the 90s whilst making highlight reels… ’cause I am scrolling thinking what do I feel,” the line cuts deeper than a casual observation, as she admits to being swept up in illusions of digital perfection, reflecting the weight of modern restlessness.
Later, “Over and Over” bursts with horn flourishes and pounding percussion, Mason’s thick vocals soaring in a way that feels almost Springsteen-esque. She sings, “One day we are gonna say I miss those days, about this very moment we are wishing away,” to push to the present and make us enjoy the climb.
Then there’s the haunting “Wild,” pared back with plucked guitar and somber tones, with her being tender and searching. She sings of her vision being thrown into the expanse where she is lost, yet nothing stops as she searches. As the line goes, “Somehow the world keeps turning, while the spark in life keeps burning, a bandage of the wounds I have.”
Altogether, Reality of Expectations gives us a reflection of who we thought we’d be and who we’re becoming, with Harri Mason sounding more self-assured than ever.
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Review by: Naomi Joan