NEW MUSIC
SELECTIVE HEARING | Robert Berman
ELLA MINE Dream War
STRYPER Even the Devil Believes
MELANIE PENN More Alive Vol . 1
The best art often comes from a place of pain , and Ella Mine has both – art and pain – in ample supply . The daughter of lyricist / liturgy writer Douglas McKelvey , she was diagnosed with a chronic pain syndrome in adolescence but found that the drug therapy left her with literally nightmarish alterations of her senses and personality . Ella Mine found relief in Scripture , in community , and in her art – a relief valve , if not a catharsis . Her debut album chronicles it all . The fear of falling asleep comes through in multiple tracks : “ I ’ m talking to the dark .” “ The wolves are at my door … I don ’ t have to sleep .” “ I ’ ll lay down in my burning bed , thought darkened thoughts run through my head .” “ Will I ever get to sleep without a killing in my head ?” The pain of daytime . “[ My ] body is china with a rhino let loose in the store .” Two tracks draw heavily on angst-ridden imagery from MacBeth . It ’ s the detailed biographical frankness of a Billie Eilish backed by the trained piano acumen of a Regina Spektor . ( Six years of classical piano study at Vanderbilt and then a degree in music gives one certain qualifications .) The album is structured as a continuous suite , one song segueing into the next , with six piano interludes leavening the whole . It ’ s an intense acoustic experience , best taken in a single setting rather than a series of singles .
Stryper ! If you needed any evidence of the enduring cultural memory of this hair metal institution , the new indie film “ Electric Jesus ” follows a young Christian band pursuing their goal of opening for Stryper in concert . Stryper ! Thirty five years on , when almost every other Christian artist of their era has either disintegrated or become a pale ghost of itself , Stryper have not only persevered , not only still look the part of rock royalty , but still produce solid , fun , crank-able pop metal tunes . Michael Sweet still reaches for the vocal stratosphere – and finds it . Nor have Stryper sidelined their storied devotion to in-your-face Christianity along the way . “ Let Him In ” bursts with Bible quotations to give as clear a gospel presentation as you could want , while “ Do Unto Others ” reminds us of our duty to man . “ This I Pray ” pulls back into acoustic mode in a cry for divine intervention , especially poignant in the context of guitarist Oz Fox ’ s battle with brain cancer . “ Invitation ” recalls the crunchy Panamanian rhythms of the late Eddie Van Halen . If you ’ re looking for finger-tapping solos and fist-pumping choruses , this is your jam .
Melanie Penn earned a slot on the list of “ is time for her next album yet ?” artists , and her fifth album lives up to its predecessors . Living in New York but recording in Nashville , she makes good use of writer / producers Ben Shive and Cason Cooley and their circle of artists like Asher Peterson , Will Sayles , and Nate Duggar . Song topics vary from the generally optimistic “ One Door Closes ” to the deeply autobiographical “ Avenue of the Americas ” to the redemptive “ Grace ” and big-picture oriented “ He Will Redeem It All .” Penn ’ s earlier work showed her familiarity with Scripture ; “ Wake Up Love ” is still one of the best adaptations of Song of Solomon out there . Biblical themes and excerpts continue to inform her work . Philippians 3 comes to musical life in “ I Want to Know You .” “ One Word ” sounds like a radio hit waiting to happen , cool percussion programming and choir reinforcing the theme of God ’ s work in the world today . Penn ’ s winning , pensive vocals , close-miked and unadorned by distracting effects , pull listeners from track to track – a little bit Natalie Grant , a little bit Twila Paris .
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 .