WHOLE

Jessa Anderson lives in Nashville, TN with her husband Jordan and their two kids Lorelei and Jagger.  Jessa loves coffee and watching Gilmore Girls and hates olives.  Her website says: “As for music, and why it matters, I view it as a thread that runs far and wide, bringing people to God and to one another.  I have a hard time labeling music in and of itself as ‘Christian’, but I am proud to be a Christ-follower making music encompassing both the human and the holy”.  WHOLE (2014, Crash Records) is her third full length album.

A pleasant pop/dance number called ‘Idols’ opens the album.  It finds Jessa conversing openly with her Creator: “And as it turns out, this fickle heart in my chest/Sometimes it beats for everything but what is best/And when I turn down the voice I hear in my head/I give You room to speak and offer life instead/So take all of these idols, all of these idols and lay them to rest/So take all of these idols, all of my idols”.  ‘Stay’ opens with lyrics that many a married couple will be able to relate to: “Another yelling match here in the living room/A personal attack is thrown from me to you/And then you give it back/And slam the door and drive away/And all you’re thinking is ‘Don’t know how much more I can take’/Cause when we started out, wide-eyed and unafraid/Thought we would never doubt the promises we made/But disillusioned now ‘cause nothing seems to be the same/And we are wondering just how much more that we can take”.

‘Giving Your Heart Away’ is a pretty ballad that again deals with male-female relationship issues: “Her hands would shake when she said goodbye/She never meant to hurt a heart that was so kind/Searching for words to apologize/With her mistakes burning bright in his eyes/Unwelcome tears that he’d try to fight spilling out/Slowly running him dry.../Said it was love, but I didn’t believe him/Feel like I’m locked inside without a key, and/If I could only collect all the pieces/That I have given up/Maybe it’d be enough”.  ‘Everything’ is an Adult Contemporary song that features beautiful, poetic words: “This is love, not that I could love but that I’m loved by One/Who loves at any cost, even to death/You’ve gone and stand victorious/And when I think about all You’ve done/Jesus I am overcome/You know it hits me like a tidal wave/And I buckle down beneath the weight of/All You are, no less than Everything/I am helpless but to speak Your name/The sweetest sound I’ll ever make/With all my heart/I’m giving everything”.

‘Can’t Be Saved’ sounds a pessimistic note: “It’s lonely on the sea but every once in a while comes someone/Who tries and tries to put the anchor down/But soon they will find that every time there’s a reason I’m still drifting/And I’ll be right here until I drown.../They say if you look close enough at the bottom/You might see just a little piece of what you thought was love”.  ‘Caught me by Surprise’ is a gentle, happy song: “Well I don’t know how we got together but I’m glad we did/You said hello and before I could stop it I was falling in/One look in your eyes, I was mesmerized right there and then/And suddenly realized just how much I’d been missing/Little did I know that I was only seeing black and white/Living shades of gray/Still I thought that I was doing fine/But now the colors seem so bright/You caught me by surprise”.

‘Never the Same’ would fit nicely on daytime Christian radio.  This song makes it clear that Jessa wants to share her faith and the hope she’s found with others: “I want to make You known with every breath in my lungs/Until there’s nothing more, until the work is done.../Now all I want to do is tell everybody how/Your love has overcome the deepest of my needs and I/Could never quite express the way that You’ve changed me now/But I will do my best/Yes, I will do my best”.  ‘Breakdown’ warns us that fighting in relationships can be like being on a battlefield: “When every line is crossed and every word is spoken/When every drop of blood has been spilled out and every hope is gone/With every weapon drawn and every wound inflicted/When you are the only one left standing/Can you really say you’ve won?.../So every bullet fired and every forced explosion, yeah, yeah/Is taking from everyone in it’s path not just the target chosen”.

‘Story of Grace’ is a well-crafted song that places total confidence in God: “Yet I know You hear even what I can’t say/Though my mouth is silent my heart cries for strength/So let the words come one by one/Goodness and healing from my tongue/That I’d find Your glory even in my pain/Let my life tell the story of grace”.  The title track, ‘Whole’, is up last.  It reflects on what Christ accomplished at Calvary: “If He really did come to right the fall, pay once for all of us, take all the burden and the sin/If the curtain was rent, the sky was black, and the spear went in to pour down the last of a covenant/If death was beginning instead of end, then who I am now was determined then.../And when He said ‘It is finished’/It was finished then/He gave us what we don’t deserve and paved the way to righteousness”.

On the whole, pun intended, WHOLE has two strengths that stand out to me.  First off, the album successfully deals both with horizontal relationships (human to human), and vertical relationship (between us and God).  Secondly, Jessa has a voice that is very smooth, warm, and inviting to listen to.  The main downfall of the album, in my opinion, is that there are so many slow, quiet songs that they almost begin to sound alike.  I hope on her next album Jessa includes several peppier, upbeat songs musically.  I’m rating WHOLE 83% and recommending it to fans of Faith Grace, Taylor Swift, and Sarah McLachlan.  For more info visit: www.jessaanderson.com.

ARE YOU READY TO SHACK UP?

It is very, very rare for me to read a work of fiction.  I generally prefer Christian living type books, biographies, and autobiographies.  A short while ago however, my Mom gave me a copy of Wm. Paul Young’s 2007 novel THE SHACK. It was a #1 New York Times Bestseller. I knew it was hugely popular several years back and had generated some controversy in Christian circles.  It comes recommended by the likes of Kathie Lee Gifford, Michael W. Smith, Eugene Peterson, and Drew Marshall.

After having read it I have to say “Wow! What a book!”  I highly recommend it and give it five out of five stars.  The whole plot revolves around a child going missing. What would you do if one of your children disappeared?

This book will totally revolutionize how you perceive God and who you think He is.  It gives great insight into not only who God is, but what His main characteristics are.  It will also provoke thought about what God intended for humans when He created us, what He requires and doesn’t require of us, and how He views time.

A huge theme in the book is suffering and pain. Why does God allow them when He could eradicate them in a flash right now?  The book also gives us a glimpse into what the afterlife could look like and it is truly fascinating.

Forgiveness is also explored towards the end of the novel. What is the true definition of it and who and what is it for?

There are a lot of religious types and churches that won’t like this book because it doesn’t just give the status quo answers to many of life’s big questions. This book will stretch your imagination and cause you to grow if you let it.  The cast of characters is quite intriguing. 

Be sure to read THE SHACK if you haven’t already! Your mind and beliefs will be stretched.

 

STOP THE BLEEDING

Tourniquet released their debut album STOP THE BLEEDING in 1990 on Intense Records.  The album cover shows a snake being restrained by chains.  1 John 4:4b states: “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world”.  On this album Tourniquet is: Ted Kirkpatrick (drums, bass), Guy Ritter (vocals), and Gary Lenaire (guitars, vocals, bass).  Session musician Mark Lewis plays almost half of the lead guitars.  Roger Martinez is listed as the producer, but in reality it was Bill Metoyer.

The record begins with ‘The Test for Leprosy’.  It is a hard rocker that begins by reflecting on society’s outcasts and ends off telling us how we can be fully made whole: “Consigned to neglect/Outside the city gates/You tear off all your clothes/And cover your face/One hope you have/Your sores will turn white/Through ritual atonement/Pronounce you clean/The test for leprosy/Heal the unclean.../We are all like lepers/Without Christ’s love in us/Let Him heal you/Let Him/Heal you/Let Him, will you?”  ‘Ready or Not’ incorporates blistering electric guitar work, breakneck speed drumming, and falsetto vocals.  It reminds us boldly of our Lord’s imminent return: “For heaven’s sakes what are we doing?/Most of us don’t even know/’He’s coming back’ isn’t forever/So, get ready if you want to go/A.S.A.P!/Say goodbye to the devil/Selfishness, ego, and greed/Soon you will see this is no laughing matter/Freedom will end when the great I AM says/’Ready or not-Here I come!’”

The next song ‘Ark of Suffering’ is a heavy metal gem.  The video for it got some airplay on MTV, but it was dropped for being too graphic.  The song targets animal testing and abuse head on: “You think it’s alright to destroy God’s creation/They don’t have a voice so who cares how we’re treating them here/If you read His Word you should know that He blessed them/I know your defense is to say ‘God said dominate them’/Do you think dominate means to kill just for sport?/Wear the fur from their backs, train them for circus acts.../Locked behind steel cage, forced to take drugs we’ve made/Cut them up just to show what we already know/Before they die...Who will hear them cry?”  ‘Tears of Korah’ is based on Old Testament passages including Exodus 3:10 and Numbers 16.  Here are some of the words: “A humble man/Moses of Goshen/Behold the plan/You shall deliver them/Out from a land/Escape Egyptian sands/Released from Pharaoh’s satanic hand/A shameful man/From the highest clan/Korah could not see Divine Authority/He said ‘You know that we can be the Holy Priests’/By fire they tried/By fire they died/Tears of Korah fall from their eyes”.

‘The Threshing Floor’ is a strong track with a fire and brimstone message: “There’s only two roads/And none in between them/If you don’t choose the Son/The choice you’ve made is against Him/Watch out! You’re gonna lose/If you mess with your Maker/Look out!/You’re gonna lose/If you mess with the snake/Beware you’re gonna lose/If you think you can tip-toe in between/Oh, your life is in danger”.  The album’s first single ‘You Get What You Pray For’ is up next.  It features growled, baritone vocals and some pretty sensational lyrics: “All of a sudden God’s grace will be torn/Billions of hell bound will wish they never were born/Let us pray (2X)/None of your excuses or shattering yells/Will turn the head of God/Who once called for your help”.

‘Swarming Spirits’ is a heavy rocker that speaks of spiritual warfare: “Swarms of legions/Swarms of demons/Swarms at war today/Swarms to kill men/Swarms to bless them/Swarms that some obey/The Bible speaks of prayer/For those who have the faith to dare/Jesus Christ is there”.  ‘Whitewashed Tomb’ is a mighty fine instrumental.

The next cut is called ‘Somnambulism’ which means ‘sleepwalking’.  Appropriately, it has a plodding feel to it musically.  These lyrics encourage us to be spiritually awake and alert: “Blessed is the man/Who dwells in the unapproachable light/It will open a window that empties the darkness of your soul/If we walk in the light/As He is in the light/He will purify us/Somnambulism-Get away from me!”  ‘Harlot Widow and The Virgin Bride’ draws its inspiration from Daniel 4:28-32 and Revelation 17 and 18.  Here are some of the words to the over 7.5 minute long speed metal track: “Hateful whores transformed to virgins/Delivered them away that scourged Him/They scourged Him/Virgin bride the holy blood justified/Your spiritual birth from out of His side/Now the marriage never dies...Open your eyes”.

STOP THE BLEEDING is a worthy debut album from Tourniquet.  The band plays an aggressive style of speed and thrash metal influenced by classical music.  This is music that is creative, artistic, and skillful.  The lyrics are more directly Christian in content than a lot of what gets airplay on Christian radio today.  Fans of Vengeance Rising, Bride, and Deliverance should add this album to their collection if they don’t already own it.  I’m rating it 85 %.  For more info visit: www.tourniquet.net.

 

 

HEAVEN HIGH

Michael Knott joined The LIfesavors, an early Christian pogo punk/new wave band when he was sixteen or seventeen.  Their debut full length album was 1981’s US KIDS.  Early on, the group was banned from playing Calvary Chapels because Knott would dance on stage.  In 1986 under the new name Lifesavers, they put out the alternative album KISS OF LIFE.  1995’s HUNTINGTON BEACH was their heaviest album.  Fast forward to 2013 when the group released the Kickstarter supported HEAVEN HIGH (Blonde Vinyl Records).  The front cover painting is ‘Detail of St. Clare’ (1312-20) by Simone Martini  For this record Lifesavers are: Michael Knott (vocals), Joshua Lory (bass, guitar), Masaki Liu (guitar, synth, keys, programming), and Nick White (drums).  The album runs only 27 minutes and 53 seconds.

The title track ‘Heaven High’ is up first.  It is a peppy pop/rock number that includes these lyrics: “One sees the future through the hurting eyes of old/One finds redemption in a newborn child’s soul/One never sleeps at night, another never wakes/One gives it all away to make up for my mistakes/I don’t mind gettin’ heaven high (2X)/Goodbye lonely days goodbye (2X)”.  ‘All Fall Down’ is a fun sounding pop/rock song lyrically and musically: “She’s a devil, she’s an angel, she’s a dancer on the table/And she’s all fall down...She’s a saucy little brat/And she’s all fall down”.

‘Bark Bite’ is a very contemporary and relevant sounding rock song with playful lyrics: “All bark and no bite/All wrong and no right/All dark and no light/All bark and no bite...All right and all right/You’re all bark and no bite/You’re all wrong and not nice”.  ‘Offed my Head’ is a heavy rocker with distorted vocals that reminds me of One Bad Pig.  Here are some of the words: “Let her lovely, lovely eyes never ever let you go/...Let her longing arms do with you what she wants to.../Give her all your time/It’s not your time anymore/Let her calling be forever opening your door/Hear the strength of her compassion and forgiving ways”.

‘I Love it When’ seems addressed to God: “How can You take the whole world and rip it out of Your hands?/When You turn a fallen human back to stand/I love it when I see somethin’ different in the picture...How do You mix the colors and make ‘em shine like they do?/When it’s the darkest hour/What is the deepest blue?”  ‘Dog Days of an Indian Summer’ is a surf rock instrumental.

‘Oh Baby’ finds Chris Dugan on drums.  It sounds like a heavier Beach Boys song musically.  It is a love song: “Wanna hang with the local crazies/Wanna be with you, oh baby...We’re  havin’ way too much fun lately as long as I’m with you, oh baby...Havin’ fun in sunshine saves me as long as it’s with you/Every morning when the sun comes up/We do everything we do and love/And every night when the sun goes down/Everything we do and love/Love, oh baby”.  ‘Stereo Radio’ is a strong melodic pop song about becoming whole: “How do I get well this time?/I’m running out of life and mind/And numbness doesn’t pay the price/And hatred doesn’t pay the price/Put your hands on the stereo/Put your mind on the river road/Put your heart in the confessional and be healed/Put your hands on the radio/Put your life in the river road/Put your time in the confessional and be healed”.

‘Ocean View Lane’ is a short song about being happy: “It’s a sunny day on the Ocean View Lane/It’s a funny thing when ya feel the same way...And I’m down on my knees beggin’ for peace”.  ‘Last Spring’, a quiet, serious song, closes out the album.  Mr. Knott plays guitar and Rick McDonough the lap steel.  Here are some of the words: “There is always a way in/There is monetary wins/Don’t be fooled by wishing wells/Try to save our souls from hells...I have nothing new to say/I have nothing’ new to pray”.

For the most part, HEAVEN HIGH is a fun, infectious pop/rock effort.  Michael Knott and crew have put together an album that is solid both musically and vocally.  This is not really overt message music, but it will please your ears.  I recommend it to fans of Dakoda Motor Co. and am rating it 86%.  For more info visit: www.hailmarystudios.com, www.knottheads.com, or connect with Michael Gerard Knott on Facebook.

 

PTSD

Lifesavers Underground formed circa 1986.  Their debut album SHADED PAIN came out in 1987.  THIS IS THE HEALING dropped in 1991.  The group released their first album under the name L. S. Underground in 1992 (THE GRAPE PROPHET).  In 2012 they made a comeback with PTSD (Legacy Edition-Retroactive Records/Blonde Vinyl Records).  On this release Michael Knott (lead vocals, guitars) is joined by seven other musicians including Brian Doidge, Jim Chaffin, Joshua Lory and Rick McDonough.  The liner notes fill us in on the purpose of the album: “It has been in Knott’s heart to create an album that would bring awareness to the overwhelming difficulties that U.S. and allied troops encounter upon returning from combat especially Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  PTSD, the leading cause for homelessness as well as alcohol and drug abuse among veterans, is a psychological and neurological disorder.  This is heavy subject matter that needs to be brought to the surface in order to honor and help those who have served our country”. 

The album begins with ‘Acclimation’ which includes these tongue-in-cheek words: “Welcome back to the land of milk and honey/Thank you for your service, sonny/Acclimate to society/Give it some time (2X)”.  ‘Souls are so Low’ has more of a poppier sound musically and asks a good question in regards to soldiers: “How shall we move these souls?/Souls are all so low (2X)”.

‘The Hallows’ is an energetic rocker that speaks of the alienation soldiers feel when returning from war: “I can’t get over the hallows...No one knows me”.  ‘My Redemption’ is stripped down musically and relates the thoughts of a soldier which include both despair and hope: “Gonna get my truck/Gonna get my car/I’m gonna scream right now/Don’t give a...bout what you think/Gonna turn it up, turn it up real loud/I been through too much/To get over all that now/Gonna get real mad/I’m gonna feel real down.../Sometimes I feel I see heaven/Risin’ up through the smokey skies/Sometimes I feel I’m forgiven”.

‘Child’s Prayer’ finds a child praying for his or her Dad: “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus/Help my Dad”.  The song is intense and passionate.  ‘Miss America’ addresses the difficult memories of a medic on the front lines. Knott’s vocals are delivered with great emotion as is the electric guitar part.

Long-time Michael Knott fans will appreciate ‘A Shade of Pain’, a ballad with lovely, poetic lyrics: “First we find the answer, then we take the blame/We put on all the masks, then we play the game/Shaded pain/We throw off all the shackles and then we wear the chains/We find out who we are, then we lose our name/Shaded pain (2X).../How can we be forgiven if we don’t live our lives?”  ‘Light’s Out’ is a blistering rocker that captures the emptiness and despair of a female soldier: “She’s got her books and all her pictures in a row/All her emails and the candles are burning low/All her loved ones don’t love her anymore/Lights out (3X)/Lights out in Baghdad”.

‘Never Gonna Come Back’ continues in the rock vein and includes the lyric: “Look what you’ve done to me”.  ‘Forever’ is a song of great despondency: “How will I get to tomorrow?/Beg, borrow, and steal/How does this get out of my head?/Guns and blood.../Now I’m dead.../Gonna lose myself forever”.  The last song ‘What is Love Fighting For’ has a punk influence.  Lyrically it is akin to Bob Dylan’s ‘With God on Our Side’.  Religion should never be used as a justification for war: “If God is love/What is love fighting for?/All the little children holding hands believe in love”.

This record offers a very realistic, angst driven look at an important issue many in our day and age deal with-PTSD.  War ruins many people’s lives forever, no matter how just the cause.  PTSD is a wonderful, well executed and produced, moving, alternative rock album.  Fans of Tool, Skillet, Jane’s Addiction, and the 77’s should check this one out.  I’m rating it 93%.  For more info visit: www.hailmarystudios.com or connect with Michael Gerard Knott on Facebook.

THE TRUTH

Gary Chapman was born on August 19, 1957 in Waurika, Oklahoma, but grew up in Texas.  Early on he played guitar for The Rambos.  In 1979 Amy Grant, whom he would later marry, used his song ‘My Father’s Eyes’ as the title track for her second album.  Gary released his first solo album SINCERELY YOURS in 1981.  In 1982 his song ‘Finally’ was recorded by T.G. Sheppard and hit No 1 on the country music charts.  Gary won a Dove Award for Male Vocalist of the Year in 1996.  Also, he hosted ‘Prime Time Country’ on TNT for four years.

Amy Grant divorced Gary in 1999 after about 17 years of marriage.  He remarried in 2000 and divorced in 2007.  He would go on to meet Cassie Piersol while his production company was shooting a making of a Hooters calendar in the Bahamas.  They married in December 2008.  She is 23 years his junior.  They launched ‘A Hymn a Week’ in 2010 and began posting videos of them on the internet.  They have also adopted a little girl, Eva Rose.  Gary’s latest and long anticipated album is THE TRUTH (2013, Merf Music Group).  Gary shares: “I have no delusions of grandeur at this point in my life and I am pleasantly embracing a place where it doesn’t really matter a whole lot to me what anybody thinks, and I say that with zero arrogance or perceived distance”.

I appreciate the honesty of the first song ‘Freedom’ and its lyrics: “This road that I am travelin’/Is steep and it is rough/And I wonder every mornin’/If I’ll have strength enough/To believe what I’ve been promised/And trust that You are here/To know that Your sweet love/Will drive away the fear with/Freedom, freedom”.  ‘Where You’re Going’ is an optimistic adult contemporary song: “When you know where you’re going/You can travel light/And you’re unafraid of narrow roads at midnight/The shadows will give way to dawn/You’ll bless the ground you’re walkin’ on/And stop and thank God for the day/For every step along the way”.

‘If God Had a Front Porch’ is a country ballad featuring the one and only Alison Krauss.  It begins with these down-to-earth words: “If God had a front porch/There probably wouldn’t be a front door/Just a welcome mat that said ‘Come on In’/There’d be music in the background/Everybody just hanging out and laughing/Like a bunch of old friends/If God had a front porch”.  ‘Ain’t Got a Prayer (Without Jesus)’ is a pleasant, melodic song that exposes the foolishness of materialism: “Everyone I know is doing/Everything they can to have enough/We’re all chasing after dollars when/The dollar says it’s God that we should trust/Wealth cannot be held in houses/Riches quickly flow through empty seeking hands/But there’s comfort in believing we’re all part/Of a much bigger, sweeter plan”.

‘How Great a God’ is a splendid worship song that offers these words of testimony: “I hurt You, You healed me/I left You, You stayed with me/I forgot You, You remembered me/I failed You, You forgave me/And I can’t help but sing/How great a God do we serve/That we don’t get what we deserve/How You take what we give and give love in return/How great a God do we serve”.  Gary co-wrote ‘Safe from the Wind’ with Tim Akers.  The song admits that life can be quite tough at times: “When the winds of change are blowin’/And the waves are crashin’ in/And I can feel the sand beneath my feet/Start changin’ shape again/When I see the darkness falling/And the night comes stormin’ in/In Your arms I will find shelter/Safe from the wind/That tries to break my heart/Into a million pieces/But in Your care/I spread my wings and fly”.

‘Widow of the South’ is a mellow story song: “She knows he’ll come back some day/And keep the promise that he made/They’re gonna have a baby/Raise him right/And love each other day and night/And start to live again/And slowly become new, old friends/Until then she’ll roam this empty house/Another long forgotten widow of the south”.  ‘Put it in His Hands’ features Gary’s daughter, Sarah Chapman.  This song reminds us that God wants to carry our burdens: “And if I stumble, remind me/The truth I just told you/To put it in His hands/There ain’t nothing you oughta hold on to/Put it in His hands/He can take care of that for you/Try to understand/When you think that there is nothing you can do/You can/Put it in His hands”.

‘All About a Baby’ is a strong seasonal song featuring the competent vocals of Gary’s wife, Cassie Chapman: “I see our newborn fast asleep and so at peace and it reminds me/It’s all about a cold night/That star shining so bright/Angels singing good news/It’s all about a stable/And a make-shift cradle/Tiny hands reaching out for me and you/I’ve been forgetting it lately/It’s all about a baby”.  The lyrics to the inspirational song ‘The Wisdom of Age’ have great depth: “The wisdom of age has moved every mountain/And stretched out over every plain/From page to page/It flows like a fountain/To the sea and comes back as rain/He’s in every breath/He’s in every touch/When we receive the Lord’s saving grace/We walk the road to glory in the wisdom of age/We tell the old, old story in the wisdom of age”.

‘Everything I Know’ was penned by Gary Chapman and Aaron Barker.  It is a soft country song that includes these conversational lyrics: “You could fill a million books/With the stuff that I know now but didn’t then/And with all the times I’ve failed/But then turned right ‘round and did the same again/But the good Lord stood beside me/Never once did he forget He loves me so/He’s used every stupid thing so far/To teach me nearly/Everything I know”.  ‘When I Say’ features Rebecca Lynn Howard.  This memorable song has a humble spirit about it: “When I say ‘I am a Christian’/I’m not bragging of success/I’m admitting that I’ve failed/And can never pay my debt/When I say ‘I am a Christian’/I still feel the sting of pain/I still have my share of heartache/This is why I seek His Name/When I say ‘I am a Christian’/I do not wish to judge/God alone can judge a heart/I just know that I am loved”.

Kenny West and Billy Henderson wrote ‘I Didn’t Find Jesus’.  This wonderful song makes it clear that salvation does not come through the church: “I didn’t find Jesus under a steeple/Sittin’ on a pew with all the redeemed souls/I guess you can see I’m one of those people/Living just outside the stained glass window/I stumbled on to the back door of heaven/When the whiskey drove me to my knees/I didn’t find Jesus, He found me”.  ‘That’s God’ is a cool country rock song that speaks of God’s tender care for us: “It’s that check in the mail that you weren’t expectin’/That song that saves you when your heart is breakin’/When that loved one you lost is with you in the room/When your biggest hero says ‘I believe in you’/It’s forgiveness when you don’t deserve it/It’s a warm embrace when you don’t feel like you’re worth it/That’s God for ‘I’m with you’/That’s God for ‘I miss you’/Don’t give up, there’s nothing He won’t do/To say ‘I love you’/That’s God”.

Gary’s wife Cassie co-wrote ‘Twenty Bucks Away’ with him.  The song tells of a good deed: “Downtown where the homeless lonely pass/And always stop to ask/He says ‘Brother, I been way down on my luck’/I reach in and pull out twenty bucks/He was twenty bucks away from havin’ enough/Twenty bucks away from knowin’ at the time/He’d be fine/It didn’t take a lot to make him smile/One Andrew Jackson would keep him for a while/And just today/He was twenty bucks away”.  The album ends with ‘The Rough Crowd’ featuring Tanya Tucker and John Rich, which is impressive!  Here are some of the words: “I’ve cussed and I’ve raised hell and I’ve drank/I’ve stumbled but I know Someone was with me all the way.../The ramblers and the rogues and rakes/You’d think would push Him away/But He was always somewhere to be found/Thank God, Jesus runs with the rough crowd/I thank God, Jesus runs with the rough crowd”.

THE TRUTH runs 61 minutes and 31 seconds long.  It was produced by Gary Chapman and Ray and Bobby Hamilton.  This is faith based country music mixed with adult contemporary influences.  Instruments employed include: accordion, steel guitars, mandolin, and mandocello.  The majority of the songs are on the slower, introspective side of things.  These are songs born out of life experience.  Fans of The Lost Dogs and Steven Curtis Chapman should buy this album that is more oriented towards adults than youth.  This is a good album to relax to.  Gary’s voice has a distinct maturity to it.  I’m rating THE TRUTH 87%.  For more info visit: www.garychapmanmusic.com and www.merfmusicgroup.com.

NO PLAN B

Carman Domenic Licciardello was born on January 19, 1956 in Trenton, New Jersey.  He became a Christian at an Andrae Crouch concert and in 1980 released his debut album GOD’S NOT FINISHED WITH ME.  Carman’s bio says he “is an enigma in Christian music, often described as part evangelist, part Vegas showman”.  Some of his best songs over the years have been: ‘Lazarus Come Forth’, ‘The Champion’, ‘Revival in the Land’, ‘Satan, Bite the Dust’, and ‘America Again’.  NO PLAN B (2014, Norway Avenue Records) is his latest and 22^nd album!  It was produced by Carman, Tedd T, and Tre’ Corely.  In the liner notes Carman writes: “This project is dedicated to all those incredible and generous people who gave to the Kickstarter campaign.  You took a man with a terminal diagnosis of cancer, a dormant music ministry and gave him not only the funds to launch a new CD and tour, but most importantly helped him find a renewed reason to fight to see what life holds in Part 2”.  “Today I stand here healthy and ready to serve”.

The album’s title track ‘No Plan B’ is up first.  It is in the pop/rock vein musically and is a bold declaration: “I walked away from Krishna, Kabbalah had me bored/Buddha’s not my cup of tea/Muhammad’s not my Lord/There is no other option, the Holy Bible say/Jesus is the Son of God and still the only way/He’s what we’ve all been wanting/He’s what the public craves/He’s the King of everything/He’s the One who saves.../He’s been my plan A/So everyone can see/I’m living for the Lord and there’s no plan B”.  Musically ‘Time 2 P.T.L.’ is a soulful song.  It shares the Gospel and advises one proper response to it: “It’s time to praise Him/Lift up His holy Name/Let everyone proclaim/That He alone is King of Kings and Lord of Lords/Praise Him for everything He’s done/For sending His only Son/Who lived and died, was crucified and rose again”.

‘I’m Coming Home’ is a ballad of willful spiritual surrender: “Lord, I’m coming home (2X)/Lord, I’m coming home to stay/Lord, I know I need to be whole and clean/Lord, I’m coming home today/Jesus take my heart/Jesus take my hand/Jesus take all of me, everything I am/Lord take everything I am/I’m coming home”.  ‘God Made Man’ includes a cameo by Jim Labriola.  This catchy story song is about spiritual transformation and utilizes street lingo to get its message across: “So I ratted out the devil/Now I’m a witness in protection/With a whole new direction/I want to shout it/I got a new life and a new route/A new name and a new suit/So did he offer me a good deal?/Ay, Forgettaboutit!/I got good news for all you crooks/You get a little sit-down/He’ll open the books/Ya takin’ the oath/And then you be/A blood bought member of the family”.

A duet with Hope Loftis entitled ‘Peace of the Lord’ follows.  It is a song of testimony: “Like the force of the thunder or the roar of the beast/Fear is drawing me under and it gives no release/But my worries are taken by the Word in my soul/And my faith is awakened with my God in control/The peace of the Lord is keeping my soul/God’s Word will forever hold my mind together”.  ‘Jesus Heal Me’ uses piano, B3, and orchestrations.  It is a deeply personal song given Carman’s battle with cancer, and includes these spoken words: “Lord Jesus, I believe that You are touching me right now/For the Scripture says that You not only forgive all my sins/But You heal all my diseases/For I believe that as the Bible says we will lay hands on the sick and they shall recover/So now I give You praise for providing everything I need to recover and walk in complete wholeness/I thank You for satisfying me with long life/For I shall live and not die”.

‘It’s All in His Hands’ has a black gospel meets rock ‘n’ roll feel to it and places total confidence in God: “I know Satan is a liar/It’s all in His hands/He belongs in the lake of fire/It’s all in His hands/I can feel God’s holy heat/It’s all in His hands/He’s on my side and I can’t be beat/It’s all in His hands.../My life, it’s all in His hands/My health, it’s all in His hands/My future, it’s all in His hands, my world.../Everything’s gonna be alright/Everything’s gonna be ok”.  ‘Another Day’ has a Caribbean atmosphere about it.  This song encourages us to be a patient people of prayer: “Cuz I know not now don’t mean never/So I’ll just do what I must do and trust You forever/An answer soon will come my way, but it may come another day/The wind will blow the clouds away, but it may blow another day/God’s promises are always true/A rainbow somewhere waits there too/But until then, You’ll see me through another day”.

‘Yes, Yes’ has a Latin music flavour to it.  It incorporates several of Carman’s past song titles into a strong statement of faith: “No way, I’m not ashamed/I love to say His Name/I’ll always be addicted to Jesus/I’m not timid like a mouse/I know Who’s in the house/I say it as I rock the microphone/The God in whom I trust makes Satan bite the dust/He’s still the one and only Champion/Yes, yes, yes, yes, I know Him/Yes, I’m born again/He’s my Lord, He’s my Savior/Yes, yes/He’s my Friend”.  ‘I Did my Best’ is an intimate conversation with the Father: “Lord I did my best/In spite of all my faults/You know I tried/Whether I was right or wrong You saw inside/And knew that You had all of me/Lord I did my best/Though often times mistakes would be there too/I just did what I believed You wanted me to do/When I’m finally laid to rest/I can say/I faced the test/And pressing toward the mark/I did my best”.

‘That’s My King/Radically Saved’ is a particularly rousing track that draws from Carman’s back catalogue.  It finds Carman very confident of what he believes: “Jesus Christ is Lord and God’s still on the throne/There’s power in the blood and I’m saved to the bone/The devil comes against me/He gonna feel some pain/I can bind him, bruise him, cast him out/By the power of Jesus’ Name.../I believe on the third day Jesus rose from the grave/The world thinks I’m crazy/I am just radically saved”.  The last track is ‘The Flag’ which is very patriotic: “Red stands for courage, white stands for truth/Blue for perseverance to a call/This flag sends a message to friend and foe alike/That America’s still the greatest land of all.../I pledge allegiance to the flag/Of the United States of America/And to the republic for which it stands/One nation under God/Indivisible/With liberty and justice for all”.

This album will no doubt please long time fans such as myself who grew up listening to Carman.  On NO PLAN B Carman in no way cloaks the Gospel message, but eagerly shares it with one and all.  He, true to character, experiments with a wide variety of musical genres.  He makes good use of a choir and many backing vocalists including long time Petra vocalist Greg Volz.  I’m rating NO PLAN B 87%.  For more info visit: www.carman.org.

 

NEON STEEPLE

David Wallace Crowder was born on November 29, 1971.  He was lead singer for David Crowder*Band.  They released their debut independent CD POUR OVER ME in 1996.  Over the years they became known for such songs as ‘Open Skies’, ‘Here is our King’, ‘Everything Glorious’, and ‘O Praise Him (All This for a King)’.  Their two disc release GIVE US REST debuted at No 1 on the Billboard Christian chart and at No 2 on the Billboard 200 chart.  The group won nine Dove Awards and had two Grammy nominations.  In 2012 they disbanded.  Most of the other members formed The Digital Age.  David Crowder’s bio notes he “has been embraced for his lyrically powerful and musically elaborate and unpredictable songs that have found themselves being sung everywhere from churches to clubs all across the country”.  Crowder’s latest solo album is NEON STEEPLE (sixstepsrecords/Sparrow Records, 2014).

‘Neon Intro’ is a short, mellow track with conversational lyrics: “Well, I didn’t come here of my own accord/And I guarantee I can’t leave like this/Where you are I don’t care/But whoever brought me here/Is gonna have to take me home/Yeah, you’re gonna have to take me home”.  ‘My Beloved’ was written by Crowder, Seth Philpott, and Ed Cash.  It is an energetic track making use of banjo, cello, and violin.  It is about a spiritual awakening: “My Beloved, bring me awake/Take me up to Your resurrection place/My Beloved, bring me awake/Cause I wanna feel Your light on my face.../My Beloved, take me away, over Jordan up out of this place/My Beloved for You I’ll wait/With You here ‘til forever face to face”.

On the adult contemporary song ‘I Am’ Crowder puts full confidence in his God: “I am holding on to You (2X)/In the middle of the storm/I am holding on, I am.../There’s no space that His love can’t reach/There’s no place where we can’t find peace/There’s no end to amazing grace”.  ‘Come Alive’ is a dance song of testimony with Sally George on background vocals: “We have tasted and seen of the never ending grace of the King/Where the broken and the least of the least come alive.../Your love was the remedy/For the sickness in my heart/And now it’s the melody rising up in me/Rising up in me”.

‘Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)’ offers awesome advice: “All who’ve strayed and walked away/Unspeakable things you’ve done/Fix your eyes on the mountain/Let the past be dead and gone/Come all saints and sinners/You can’t outrun God/Whatever you’ve done you can’t overcome the power of the blood/If you’re lost and wanderin’/Come stumbling in like a prodigal child/See the walls start crumbling/Let the gates of glory be open wide”.  ‘Come as You Are’ is a nice ballad of invitation: “There’s hope for the hopeless/And all those who’ve strayed/Come sit at the table/Come taste the grace/There’s rest for the weary/Rest that endures/Earth has no sorrow/That heaven can’t cure.../Come as you are (2X)/Fall in His arms/Come as you are”.

‘Hands of Love’ musically sounds like an upbeat Newsboys song but has Ron Block playing banjo.  The song speaks of being secure in God: “In His hands that hung the sky/In His hands that touched the blind/In His hands He is holding me/In His hands that flung the stars/In His hands that bear the scars/In His hands He is holding me”.  Phil Madeira plays slide and electric guitar on the Hank Williams Sr./Charles Monroe 1951 composition ‘Jesus is Calling’.  This old country song offers hope: “If you’re lost in sin/There’s no need for you to stay/Jesus is calling, calling, calling night and day/If the night is dark/You will soon see the day/Jesus is calling, calling, calling night and day”.

‘My Sweet Lord’ is a quiet song of vulnerability with the legendary Emmylou Harris on backing vocals and Phil Madeira on B3.  Here are some of the words: “My sweet Lord/Desperately I am alone and afraid to be/My love is gone so far away/I need my sweet Lord’s help today/Let Your love shine down on me and light the way to be/Oh and these are the words that I pray/I need my sweet Lord’s help today”.  ‘This I Know’ includes fiddle, gang vocals, and claps.  It also makes requests of God: “Take me up to where I was/When I never wanted more than You/Lift me up to feel Your touch/It wouldn’t be that much for You/This I know (4X)”.

‘Ain’t No Grave’ is a good sing-a-long song that finds Crowder determined: “Lord I’m crooked from head to toe/Got dirty hands and a dirty soul/I was lost but now I’m found/Ain’t no grave gonna hold me down/Ain’t no grave gonna hold me down”.  ‘You Are’ confidently declares who God is: “You are constant in my wandering/You are brighter than the dark in me/You are the love that sets me free/You are faithful, You are faithful/You are/Ever waiting for the weary/Ever wanting them to see/There’s ransom, there’s forgiveness/Your hope is all around me/Though I’m prone to leave Your side/You draw me like the tide”.

‘Here’s My Heart’ finds Matt Gilder on piano, Cara Fox on cello, and Gabe Scott on background vocals.  This testimonial was written by Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram, and Louie Giglio: “You are strong, You are sure/You are life, You endure/You are good, always true/You are light breaking through/You are more than enough/You are here/You are love/You are hope/You are grace/You’re all I have/You’re everything”.  ‘Steeple Outro’ is a fitting conclusion to the album: “I needed waking/I needed breaking/I needed You my Lord/And You took my hand/Led me to the river/And buried all I was/Then You kiss my face and told me I was Yours/And I knew I’d found my home”.

NEON STEEPLE is an eclectic musical stew combining elements of bluegrass, praise and worship, techno dance, and pop music.  Crowder’s voice is still in top form.  This is an album both teens and their parents will enjoy!  I’m rating NEON STEEPLE 90% and recommending it to fans of Needtobreathe and Patty Griffin.  I can’t wait for Crowder’s next album.  For more info visit: www.crowdermusic.com.

 

AMBIENT TRACKS FOR FILM: ONE

Eymard is Rick McDonough. He wrote and performed all the music on 2011’s AMBIENT TRACKS FOR FILM: ONE (Hill deg Maria Records).  Ambient is defined by one online reference source as “pertaining to or noting sounds that create a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere”.  This totally instrumental record clocks in at 77:32.  The Cd insert includes this simple statement: “She reinforces hope, reminding me to dream”. 

The album opener ‘Dismay’ has a sci-fi feel to it. It will make you think you are traveling through outer space.  ‘Parkway Rearview Mirror Remainder’ sounds like it could be used in a mystery or suspense movie.  ‘HEmispharion’ makes me think of a gal skinny dipping in a lake just before she is attacked, in a movie of course.  One could envision a royal castle made out of glistening crystals while listening to the next song ‘Frozen Snowflake Perspective’.    The album’s shortest track ‘Between Equinox and Anticipation’ (3:57) is also one of my least favourite.  ‘Two Thirty Nine’ makes me think of someone departing this earth for his/her eternal home in heaven.

‘And I’m Now the Let Down’ is an inquisitive track, while ‘Numb Instead’ is a tranquil one.  ‘The Recognition and the Recovery’ puts me in mind of a night time stroll on the beach.  ‘Syntax to Synapse’ is the album’s longest track at 7:46.  ‘Pearl’ makes me think of a diver underwater searching for treasures and artifacts in the ocean.  Meanwhile, I can picture a parent lovingly putting their kids to bed after a long day, when I listen to ‘Reminding My Dreams’.

AMBIENT TRACKS FOR FILM: ONE is mostly dark, moody, brooding, melancholy, instrumental music with a few exceptions of cheerfulness.  It is both thoughtful and thought-provoking.  Rick has done a great job here! I’m rating it 83%.  For more info visit www.hailmarystudios.com and www.eymard.bandcamp.com.  Eymard’s latest project is entitled LIGHT (2014).

 

16 FLOWERS

STRUCK LAST MAY is Michael Knott and Rick McDonough.  In 2007 they released 16 FLOWERS (Hill deg Maria Records).  Rick calls it “a quirky, fun, experimental project”.  It is a decidedly mainstream album, so don’t look for Gospel truths here.  The liner notes say: “The record 16 Flowers, is a journey loosely based upon a fictional couple who encounter emotional peaks and valleys as they experience each other, as well as the world around them”.

An eerie instrumental piece ‘Over Oceans’ starts things off.  It is followed by ‘Fraidy Cat’ a funky rock song that includes these lyrics: “She’s a good girl when she does what I ask her to/She’s a bad girl when she wants what I ask her to/Little dog/Big dog/Confused puppy”.  ‘Bundle Up’ is delivered with passion: “Hold my hands, kiss these lips/Friendship’s never felt like this/You’re the girl for me/You’re the one I know will/Rip my ribs out of my chest/See my bloody heart confess/You’re never gonna kill me”.

‘Pollen’ is a silly song: “Nectar/I’m a flower/She’s a flower/Buzzy bees”.  You’d think the duo was high on this one!  ‘Impossible’ is an acoustic track of reflection: “Thought I’d see you in the summer/Found out I’d find you in the winter/It’s never that cold in Southern California/It’s never that cold in Laguna Beach.../Lookin’ for, lookin’ for/True love, true love/Impossible”.  ‘Recovery’ includes these playful remarks: “You say I’m a silly goose/I say you are beautiful”.

‘Sunshine Beach’ has a cheerful rock feel to it musically.  A couple of the lines are: “I haven’t seen her smile lately/Live forever on Sunshine Beach”.  ‘Footing’ is a short song with a darker feel to it: “I need footing/Can you find me?/I’m willing”.  ‘Like Milk’ is a song of infatuation: “Her skin is like milk/Her love is like this/She tastes like cocoa, cocoa, cocoa/Butter”.

‘You Are Me’ includes these instructions: “Straighten my legs/Straighten my hands down/Leaped about five feet off the ground/Start movin’ forward/Don’t pass out/It’s as real as the sky I see”.  ‘With Wrong Words’ is a sleepy song.  ‘Go Kart Ragazza’ is a fun song: “She took home 3 Aztec trophies 1961/Yeah/ Racing in a Bug Scorpion”.  Brenda Clark lends her vocal talents to the song.

‘Fireworks’ is a neat, percussion heavy, industrial instrumental that reminds me of Passafist.  The title track ’16 Flowers’ is acoustic and finds a lover trying to save their partner from possible suicide. 

Overall, I would classify this album as experimental light rock music.  On it you can even hear the vocalists buzzing like bees and barking like dogs!  There are a lot of distorted sounds used to good effect.  Fans of the more experimental works of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Michael Knott, and Michael Roe, should give this album a listen.  Lyrically the album is greatly open to interpretation by the listener.  There is no one meaning for any of the songs.  Those who prefer message music should steer clear of this one.  I’m rating 16 FLOWERS 80%.  For more info visit: www.hailmarystudios.com and www.strucklastmay.bandcamp.com.

 

SOVEREIGN

Michael Whitaker Smith was born on October 7, 1957 in Kenova, West Virginia.  His dad was an oil refinery worker and his mom a caterer.  Michael signed as a songwriter with Meadowgreen Music in 1981, writing songs for the likes of Sandi Patty and Amy Grant.  He was Amy’s keyboardist on her AGE TO AGE tour, and went on to become her opening act.  His debut album THE MICHAEL W. SMITH PROJECT came out in 1983 on Reunion Records.  It included several great songs including ‘Friends’ and ‘You Need a Savior’.  My favourite album of his is THE BIG PICTURE released in 1986.  His first worship album WORSHIP came out in 2001 and did very well.  Now he is back with his fourth worship album SOVEREIGN (2014, Capitol CMG/Sparrow).  I am reviewing here the standard twelve song version, which runs 56 minutes and 39 seconds.

‘You Won’t Let Go’, a rousing adult contemporary song penned by Michael, Seth Mosley, and Mia Fieldes, starts things off.  It should encourage those going through hard times: “No raging storm can ever defy/One word of faith/My heart remains sure in the wind/Sure in the waves/You are the anchor for my soul/You won’t let go (2X)/No matter what may come I know/You won’t let go/No valley low changes the truth/So I’m not afraid”.  ‘Heaven Come Down’ is a sincere cry for revival: “Oh, we are broken/Here before You now/God we’re cryin’ out/Bringing You a heart that’s open/Come and light a fire (2X)/Like an ocean/Washin’ over us/Strong and glorious/Your love has spoken/And our hearts are open/Oh, heaven come down tonight/We wanna see Your glory shine”.

‘Miracle’ is an adult pop song of testimony: “I am a miracle/I am a miracle/Impossible/The war was lost/Before Your blood/Before the cross/My shame no more/My curse no more/You made a way (2X).../Amazing grace/How sweet the sound/I once was lost/But now I’m found”.  ‘Sky Spills Over’ was penned by Michael, his son Ryan, and Christopher Stevens.  Wes King plays acoustic guitars and Ben Clark plays banjo.  This very positive song has a pulsating beat: “Lift your eyes/Look to the horizon now/There’s still a hope for us/Reach up from the dust/And call it down/Can you hear/Can you hear that thunder?/Sing His Name, Sing it out/’Til the sky spills over/I may just be dry bones/Stripped of sinew and skin/But the wind of His Spirit/Will raise me up again”.

‘All Arise’ includes strings by David Henry and reminds us to revere God: “There is only One/Whose majesty is unending/There is only One/The King of Kings, never failing/All, all arise/At the Name of our Savior/Who is worthy/You are worthy”.  ‘You Are The Fire’ is a song that builds in intensity musically and reminds us God can’t be contained in a box of our own making: “You’re all consuming/You can’t be contained/Never relenting, changing everything/You are the love that overwhelms my heart/You are the fire lighting up the dark.../Fan the flames ‘til the whole world sees us burn/You are the fire”.

‘Christ Be All Around Me’ was written by Leeland Mooring, Jack Mooring, David Leonard, and Leslie Jordan.  It is a great congregational style song that serves as a prayer: “As I rise, strength of God/Go before, lift me up/As I wake, eyes of God/Look upon, be my sight/As I wait, heart of God/Satisfy and sustain/As I hear, voice of God/Lead me on, be my guide/Be my guide/Above and below me/Before and behind me/In every eye that sees me/Christ be all around me”.  Aaron Keyes, Bryan Brown, and Jack Mooring wrote ‘Sovereign Over Us’.  Jack is Michael’s son-in-law.  This terrific worship ballad uses violin, viola, cello, and double bass.  It boldly declares who God is: “Your plans are still to prosper/You have not forgotten us/You’re with us in the fire and the flood/You’re faithful forever/Perfect in love/You are sovereign over us.../You’re the lifter of the lowly/Compassionate and kind/You surround and You uphold me/And Your promises are my delight”.

‘Hide Myself’ values intimacy with God above all else: “You are the refuge that stands/You hold my world in Your hands/The quiet in the noise/The stillness of Your voice/Will be enough.../And it’s Your presence alone/That changes all that I know/’Til all that I know/Is just Your presence alone/I’m safe in Your shadow”.  Nick Herbert and Ben Cantelon wrote ‘The Same Power’.  It is a celebratory song appropriate for Easter Sunday: “There is power in His Name/For the stone was rolled away/Mountains bow down before/Jesus Christ, our risen Lord/Jesus Christ, our risen Lord/Mighty Savior, lifted high/King forever, Jesus Christ/Crowned in glory, raised to life/The same power lives in us”.

‘I Lay Me Down’ is a ballad that uses strings and finds Michael on piano.  It is a song of true spiritual satisfaction: “I have found here/Love and mercy/From an infinite supply/I have found here/Living water/From a well that won’t run dry/At Your feet I bow in wonder/At Your feet/I place my crowns/Let surrender be the only sound/At Your feet/I lay me down”.  The closing song ‘The One That Really Matters’ was penned by Jennie Lee Riddle and Dustin Smith.  It features Kari Jobe on vocals along with Michael, Bellarive on backing vocals, and Cara Fox on cello.  The song includes these passionate words: “I can’t help but scream about the way that You moved in/Chaotic love has messed me up so I could live again/You’re the One that really matters”.

Michael W. Smith and his wife Debbie have five kids and several grandchildren.  Michael has sold over 15 million albums, had 28 No 1 hits, won 3 Grammy’s, and over 40 Dove Awards.  He says: “I’m pretty passionate.  I have lots of energy and I’m probably enjoying making music more than I ever have in my entire life.  I’m having fun and I’m excited about this record and this next chapter...I don’t see retirement anywhere in the Bible”.

I recommend SOVEREIGN to fans of Chris Tomlin, Elton John, Mark Schultz, and Billy Joel.  This is worship music for already converted youth and young adults.  This album represents all that is good about modern worship music.  The instrumentation is skillful and the lyrics are meaningful.  Michael’s vocals are spot on.  He is supported by many talented vocalists including Lauren Daigle, Jamie Jamgochian, and Jeremy Edwardson.  These songs will inspire you to grow closer to God and trust Him more.  They will also make you desire to share Christ with those who don’t yet know Him.  I’m rating SOVEREIGN 98%.  For more info visit: www.michaelwsmith.com and www.sparrowrecords.com.