NEW MUSIC
SELECTIVE HEARING | Robert Berman
SANDRA MCCRACKEN Patient Kingdom
NATALIE GRANT No Stranger
WAKE LOW Wake Low
Most people first heard of Sandra McCracken from her work with Caedmon ’ s Call and the Indelible Grace hymn-retuning collective . Since then she ’ s had a steady stream of biblically focused singer-songwriter efforts : worship music in a broad sense , but not necessarily for group singing . Under the helm of producers Ben Shive and Tyler Chester , the instrumentation will come as no surprise to McCracken ’ s fans : acoustic guitar and piano backed by live drum and bass , organic and natural as a mountain sunrise . Building on her recent God ’ s Highway and Songs from the Valley albums , her latest project further shows how to express Christian hope in the midst of life ’ s struggles . “ On High Places ” ( from Psalm 18:33 ) teaches us about the preserving value of fear in a society that can denigrate caution . “ Lay My Worry Down ” jangles along a Tom Petty vibe . “ You Are With Me ” samples a variety of verses about God ’ s presence , including Psalms 23 , 30 , and 121 . “ You Are the Word ” washes a lyric about God ’ s promises with heavy Springsteen slapback echo and irregular meter . “ I Am One ” explores the Passion Bible translation of Colossians 3:4 which declares that Christians are “ one with Him in glory .” “ Thirst No More ” lilts with a country backbeat , while the title track rises on gentle trio harmonies . From start to finish , every track reflects thoughtfully upon biblical themes . A 6 / 8 reworking of the hymn “ Be Still My Soul ” closes the set on a note of resolve .
On her tenth studio album , Grant again showcases the commanding voice that won her five Dove Awards and puts the “ pow ” in “ power ballads .” Midtempo anthems like “ Face to Face ,” “ Who Else ,” and the title track predominate , giving her plenty of opportunity to do what she does so well . “ Do It Through Me ” dips into melismatic modern R & B territory . A piano-driven cover of Casting Crown ’ s 2005 hit “ Praise You in This Storm ” offers a welcome balm for troubled times while eschewing the understandable temptation to add big drums for the finale . “ Who Else ” builds on a bittersweetly symphonic string ostinato to affirm God ’ s frequent habit of building triumph on tragedy . Exaggerated autotune and Steven Malcolm ’ s Christ-centered rap add extra flavors to the optimistic “ Even Louder .” “ Presence of the King ” pulls way back in a hushed reverence more reminiscent of Twila Paris than Celine Dion . Album centerpiece “ My Weapon ” appears in two guises : first in glorious modern bombast , and a second time backed by a massive string ensemble arranged by Grant ’ s producer husband Bernie Herms , concluded by an instrumental coda featuring Herms on Wurlitzer . Grant successfully waltzes on the line between the familiar and the novel , giving fans a reason to come back for more .
The Peterson siblings ( Aedan , Asher , and Skye ) are at it again ! Their latest project draws its name from the windy front of low atmospheric pressure that follows a storm , and they ’ ve got
a few musical storms of their own to share . On opener “ Curtain ,” they harmonize surprisingly like Bookends-era Simon and Garfunkel , backed by distant horns . “ Testify ” heads off in a completely different direction , driven by an irresistible bass groove over octaved vocals . Then “ Badaboom ” goes sparse with saloon piano and an off-kilter drum loop . “ Flowers in the Dome ” is a brief palate cleanser with a slow-attack synth patch , leading into the delightful , wistful acoustic ballad “ How Did We Get Here ?” “ Autumntide ” hits on all cylinders , with tight vocals , and cool sequencing over a wash of synth . Closer “ Morning Star ,” the only purely acoustic selection , generalizes 2 Peter 1:19 into a song of longing . Resurrection themes recur in the lyrics ; “ don ’ t close your eyes to the tomb that ’ s broken wide .” “ The curtain ’ s torn in two .” Aedan sits firmly in the producer ’ s chair for what will hopefully be the latest of many family collaborations .
Robert Berman Robert is a Sunday School teacher , music nerd , and acoustic guitar enthusiast . He lives in rural Tennessee with his wife and three boys .