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Reviews – Music
CHRISTIAN RECORDINGS AND CONCERTS
Song
Reflections
Carrie Underwood - "Jesus,
Take the Wheel" read
Lifehouse - "Hanging by a Moment" read
Switchfoot - "Dare You To Move" read
Los Lonely Boys - "Heaven" read Bob
Dylan - "Shelter From The Storm" read
Trent
Thomason "Ten"
Trent
Thomason, former keyboard player (late 90’s, ‘Doubletake’ album
and tour) for the long-lived and hard-rocking Christian
band Petra, has put together ten songs on the aptly
titled solo release, “Ten” (Highya Music/
Distributed by WAB Entertainment). The flow of the
music drifts back and forth between a harder edged
progressive rock and power pop sound and a lighter
ballad approach.
Caedmon’s
Call has been around for over ten years and they’ve
gathered a loyal following. Their often laidback and folksy
sound is easy to get comfortable with. If you examine the
photograph on the back of the liner notes you’ll
see they look “down home”. Maybe that’s
the image they were trying to present.
Thankfully, neither the picture nor the music seems contrived. They sound honest
and earnest in the thirteen songs on this release.
A title like
“Divine Discontent” immediately raises eyebrows.
Anyone who has been honestly seeking a real relationship
with the Divine will discover the tension that creates.
We can’t help but feel discontent as we struggle
with how to connect better with the Mystery of a God that
loves and cares for His creation so deeply that He never
gives up on it, even when so many of us turn our backs to Him.
Bebo
Norman "Myself When I Am Real" Music review by Tom Gilbert
The
newest release from Bebo Norman, “Myself
When I Am Real”contains more of the introspective
and heartfelt songwriting that helped make his previous
release, “Big Blue Sky”, one of the
best Christian releases of 2001. The CD has twelve songs
addressing such matters as overcoming our tendency to
mess up (i.e. sin) in “Falling Down”,
God’s shining glory (“Great Light of the
World”) and the desire to be there for others
(“Everything”).
the
echoing green "the winter of our discontent
Music review by Tom Gilbert
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.
Ceili
Rain "No
You, No Me"(Cross Driven
Records) music review by
Joanne Brokaw
If Willy Wonka had a rock band, it would be
Ceili Rain. Once referred to as “a seven-headed musical joy
monster” by country artist Kathy Mattea, Ceili
Rain is a magical outpouring of heavenly merriment.
Their latest release, No Me, No You is delightful,
poignant, and deliciously joyful, pulling listeners
in with musical stories of
home, heart, love and life, joyful rock with a decidedly
Celtic, magical flair.
"Offerings
II" – Third Day, (Essential records)
Music Review
by Tom Gilbert
Worship albums have become so popular that now they are almost
expected of every well-known Christian group.
This is unfortunate as it tends to water down the genre
and to dilute the impact of really good worship releases.
Third Day addresses this head on with liner notes, “Why
are you making another Offerings record?” and “Is
there really a need for yet another worship record?”
"Run
the Earth...Run the Sky – Chris Rice (Rocketown
Records)
music review by Joanne Brokaw
Listening to the latest release from Chris Rice, Run
the Earth…Watch the Sky (Rocketown
Records), is like sitting on the porch on
a warm summer evening, fireflies twinkling
in the dark, icy sweat rolling down cold
glasses of lemonade, rocking in the porch
swing with your head tilted back and eyes
closed, listening to Chris muse about everything
from worship in a cathedral of trees to junior
high.
"Furthermore:
From the Studio, From the Stage"
Jars
of Clay (Essential records) music review by Joanne
Brokaw
Musicians sometimes say
that never really finish a song, they only run out
of time. Like any artist, they muse about ways a song
could have been recorded better, how it could have
been tweaked, or how it might have sounded with a completely
different arrangement.
With Furthermore: From the Studio, From the Stage, Jars of Clay has taken the
opportunity to revisit some favorite and familiar songs and given them a breath
of fresh air.
Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...But
Three Do
Music Review – Relient K (Gotee records) by Joanne Brokaw It's not that I don't like Relient K. It's just that,
until now, I really didn't care much about them one way
or another.
I used to own one of those Reliant K cars. Ever since
the driver's side door fell off in a WalMart parking lot
one sub-zero December evening, forcing me to drive 8 miles
home with the seat belt looped thru the inside handle,
window rolled down while I held the door in place, avoiding
all left hand turns, the mere mention of the car's name
makes me shiver.
Dietrech
"Always In My Heart"
Music Review by Tom Gilbert
The music of Dietrech is bouncy and catchy. It’s not
disposable or mindless, but it also is not real challenging.
At first listen many of the songs have a similar sound,
but repeated review reveals the songs’ individual
characteristics. There’s an optimistic mood throughout
and the performance and production is professional. I
can imagine hearing some of these songs on most any contemporary
Christian radio station and having them fit well with
much of what you hear on those stations these days.
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