NEW MUSIC
SELECTIVE HEARING | Robert Berman
CROWDER JESS RAY JJ HELLER
I Know a Ghost Parallels and Meridians I Dream of You, Volume 2
When David Crowder releases a new album, This time around, the fabulous Jess Ray adds Hey, parents! Looking for bedtime music for
he doesn’t mess around. Sixteen tracks electronic textures and processing to her the kids that won’t give you nightmares about
combining for over an hour of rapt listening. usual acoustic guitar base. Her luxurious and purple dinosaurs? JJ Heller follows up a similar
Guest stars galore, from Mandisa and Riley instantly recognizable alto spreads a warm 2014 project with this new lullabye collection
Clemmons to Social Club Misfits and Taya. chocolate glow on track after track, recalling mixing three originals with a delightful array
The first few tracks lean heavily into blues by turns Brandi Carlile and Florence Welch. of lush (but quiet!) covers along the lines of
rock, followed by a section of crowd-pleasing Lyrics cover a wide range of the Christian “It’s Such a Good Feeling” (from “Mr. Rogers’
pop, a group of Andy Grammer-esque “not experience from joy to repentance. “O Great Neighborhood), “Better Together” (by Jack
really country” songs, and a mellow, down- Light” uses vocoder-style harmonies to worship Johnson), “Stay Awake” (from “Mary Poppins”),
tempo set of closers for the cool-down. As the persons of the Trinity. Ray’s recent marriage and the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun”
usual, the person and work of Jesus Christ gets its due on tracks like “When I’m With and “I Will.” “Hand to Hold” is a benediction
figure prominently, with his atoning work on You” and “Die Tryin’.” “Did Not Our Hearts incorporating the Aaronic blessing (“The Lord
the cross as the central recurring theme, even Burn” recalls pivotal spiritual moments in Ray’s bless you and keep you…”) from Numbers 6.
on the tracks that don’t have telltale names life. “Gallows” contemplates the fate of our Ben Shive handles production, so you know
like “Golgotha Hill” and “The Sinner’s Cure.” Adversary in language drawn from the book of it’s going to sound good. Children’s choir, harp,
Crowder’s characteristic stylistic adventurism Esther: “The Devil is gonna hang from his own woodwinds, and a ten piece string section fill
rears its head on “La Luz,” a bilingual hip-hop gallows.” Ellie Holcomb and Brandon Heath out Shive’s central piano, and Heller sings like a
celebration of the spirit of Christ within us. This lend their voices to the comforting “No Man.” serene Disney princess on classics like “Moon
album will have you reaching for the “repeat” This album shows once again that the best in River” and “Edelweiss.” Best of all, Heller
button and eager for the tour. Christian music is often a little off the beaten and Shive give us fifteen songs over fifty-two
track, but well worth finding. minutes, plenty of time for your little ones to
count their sheep and begin dreaming of the
Lamb.
44
December 2018
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