Music
Review – the echoing green
"the winter of
our discontent" |
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review
by Tom Gilbert
the echoing
green CD “the winter of our discontent”
(independent release/see www.adifferentdrum.com)
 The
synthpop world of music is akin to a dreamy meditational
state that conjures visions of futuristic vistas, sophisticated
electronics and high-tech living. Indeed, the nature
of the music would not exist without the advancement
in electronic music.
This being the case you might find it surprising that
the genre could be spiritual and even mystical. Science
is often considered the high art of advanced technology.
Spiritual, mystical and religious concepts often do
not mesh well with this brave new world. Nevertheless,
the dreamy electronics produced from
synthesizers, keyboards and guitars on the echoing
green’s new release, “the winter of our
discontent” are rich with spiritual imagery.
Joey Belville is the primary creative force of the echoing
green (yes, all lower-case). He is nearly always smiling
and joking. This strikes me as unusual,
not because
he
shouldn’t
be happy and fun, but because the impression I have of
synthpop musicians are humanoids of mysterious, ethereal
and serious visage.
You know, more like robotic techno geeks. Shame on
me for such stereotyping.
Truth is Belville and his collaborators are intriguing, life-filled and life-exploring people
who happen to take their spiritual journey and put it into their digital music art.
It’s refreshing that Christian music is not confined to sweet and earnest guitar ballads
that sing of deep felt convictions and earnest striving to be more like Jesus.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but if the music and message are to
go further than the already converted it must keep stretching.
The echoing green gives us songs that ripple out from
a techno center of pulsating electronic sounds and ask
us to contemplate the mystery of our sometimes bittersweet
earthly existence. That may be our journey, and if
it's yours then don’t
lose sight of your destination: a glorious heaven.
Can we get a peek of it in the here and now? Songs like “The
Story of Our Lives” (our dreams are in our
sights/as we’re lifted out of nowhere/with sunspots in
our eyes/we see the glory of our lives) and “Someday” (someday
we will leave here/and someday we might fly) strive
for and achieve that lofty goal.
Repeated listens are really important to appreciate
what is going on here. A proper state of mind may even
be necessary; at least this was the case for me so
that I could immerse myself in the dreamy world of
the echoing green. It's not music for all occasions,
but surely there are times for immersing yourself
in the subtle supple melodies that carry you to a place
where your soul can rest a while from the hectic babble
of your noisy life. While the beat is doing a spinal
tap dance the poetry seeps through your sensory input
and wafts its way to your center. Yeah, something like
that. Music is often appreciated best in group settings.
Still, the experience can be a subjective and
personal one. Time and place will influence; results
may vary.
Striving to merge beauty, hope and rhythm with the driving beat of their music and
matching that music to the beat of their hearts is what the echoing green
is all about (www.echocentral.com). “The winter
of our discontent” is available through select
stores and online outlets and you can find out more
at A Different Drum.
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Scripture
taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights
reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of
International Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks
of International Bible Society. Use of either trademark for the offering
of goods or services requires the prior written consent of International
Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission
of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189, USA. All rights
reserved.
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