spitting rhythms allow for so many words per minute , and per song . The overall effect is powerful , and even overpowering , as NF works through the consequences of his mother ’ s pill addiction , made all the more distressing when he never thinks to bring the gospel to bear on his situation . Track titles like “ Got You on My Mind ,” “ Wish You Wouldn ’ t ,” and especially “ How Could You Leave Us ?” carry the theme . Feel-good froth this ain ’ t . NF ’ s visual style and rolling rhyme-spitting show a clear debt to Eminem , another artist known for musical catharsis .
clutch of rustic gospel originals with a sound between Gillian Welch and Sheryl Crow . As on her recent Psalms album , some tracks call out their Scriptural basis in the title : 1 Peter , Psalm 131 , Jude 23-24 , The Lord ’ s Prayer .
MICHAEL ROE Gothic
When Michael Roe rolled into Denver on September 2 , 2001 for a show at the stately Gothic Theatre , he didn ’ t expect to be joined
onstage by local guitar legend David Beegle ( formerly with progressive instrumental group Fourth Estate ) and his band . This rehearsalfree performance , oft-bootlegged , now gets an official release , and the results are pure rock-and-roll delight . Roe leads the impromptu band through epic versions of favorites like “ MT ” ( notoriously challenging to arrange for live performance ), “ Nobody ’ s Fault but Mine ” ( hewing closer to the blues original than to Zeppelin ’ s rock version ), and “ Perfect Blues ”. Covers include Terry Taylor ’ s “ Wall of Heaven ,”
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THE CHOIR Live and On the Wing ( CD / DVD )
Too few Christian bands have seen their concert performances preserved by professional videographers , but at least the list of deserving-yet-unchronicled groups is one band shorter now . This project finds the four core Choristers complemented by frequent collaborators Marc Byrd ( guitar ) and Christine Glass ( vocals , percussion ) on seventeen tracks
that lean heavily on their critically acclaimed Chase the Kangaroo and Circle Slide albums , with enough recent tracks along the way to show that their early successes were no fluke . The crowd , hushed rather than frenetic , clearly appreciated how readily the band replicates the spacious , ambient feel of the studio versions in a concert setting . The DVD is the main attraction , but the career retrospective CD , containing the same songs , makes a welcome addition to the package .
SANDRA MCCRACKEN God ’ s Highway
McCracken ’ s 11 th album since 2000 finds her stepping away from jangly acoustic pop into a mellow “ live in the home studio ” setting . Recording over a period of just a few days , McCracken ( on piano , guitar , and of course vocals ) reunites with producer / stand-up bass player Jay Foote as well as guitarist Kenny Meeks and percussionist Spencer Cohen for a
SHUBB CAPOS
After
40 still the best !
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Nov � Dec 2016 ChristianMusician . com
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