NEW MUSIC
SELECTIVE HEARING | Robert Berman
LIZ VICE her soulful voice is all her own. That track and band was formed in southern Georgia, so an
Save Me "Save Me" are a double dose of distressed, element of Country would be hard to avoid,
crying out for deliverance, while "Where Can I but album opener “Say Hello” and closer “Are
Go" draws upon Psalm 139 imagery in a brief You With Me?” are slices of delightful guitar-
coda of hope. Brooklyn’s Mason Jar Music based pop that could have come from Survivor
collective (Dan Knobler and Jon Seale, known or REO Speedwagon at their peaks. They
for work with Chris Thile, Sarah Jarosz, and belong on the radio, and on your playlist. Third
Josh Garrels) handles production. Day’s Mac Powell guests on the worshipful
“You’re My Shepherd,” while “Like Home”
SMALLTOWN POETS includes a gospel choir. “Impossible” sports an
Say Hello unexpected horn section. It’s an album worth
revisiting, and a band worth supporting.
MAT KEARNEY
Crazytalk
Does everything Liz Vice touches turn to gold?
Her latest EP does nothing to disprove the
theory, with six songs of praise, lament, and
wisdom. 70s-style soul is the predominant
flavor here, full of both heart and hook. "If
your soul's not anchored in Jesus, you're
going to surely drift away," she murmurs over
a string of Philip Glass-style ambient strings
and funky synth-vocals. "Baby, Hold On"
starts with watery reverb on guitar and organ They’re back! Smalltown Poets released a well- before exploding into glorious gospel harmony, received pop/rock album as “Villanelle” in 1996 courtesy of Madison Cunningnam and Urban before adopting their current name and releasing Doxology, exhorting perseverance through hard a string of catchy songs over the next several times. "One ugly, angry soul can dash a million years. It’s been over a dozen years since their Kearney’s style of hip-hop inflected pop has
hopes of peace, so tell me how much more last regular release, with only two Christmas had a great few years, seeing respect in the
a legion of the pure with beauty and the truth projects and an EP in the meantime. But now mainstream, on a dozen television episodes,
can bring?" she proposes on standout track they’ve broken the silence with a full-length and on Christian radio. His latest release seems
"Brick by Brick," her glowing alto backed by a album, and their tuneful “70s in the 90s” pop- poised to continue his string of success. He
building percussion track that builds through rock sound remains intact, as does their clear can do the sing/talk thing like Post Malone or
arpeggiated synths into a chorus of hope. A Christian witness on track after track. Recalling Mike Posner, but without the autotune. He can
song of diversity follows that song of unity: "If by turns jangly acoustic/rock ensembles like croon like Charlie Puth and doesn’t skimp on
every flower were a rose, a rose's beauty would Gin Blossoms and The Wallflowers, the Poets the music; Over the course of thirteen tracks,
not be." "Fancy Feet" extols the virtues of going recall a time when country radio wasn’t the only Kearney serves up Shawn Mendes-style guitar
barefoot. On "To Dance with Death," Vice takes place to hear chord progressions outside the on one track, programmed synths on the next,
on an Adele-like vocal catch, but in general usual two or three that predominate today. The but always tastefully arranged and hooky.
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July 2018
WorshipMusician.com