Worship Musician Magazine September 2020 | Page 44

NEW MUSIC
SELECTIVE HEARING | Robert Berman
JON GUERRA
Keeper of Days
A BOY AND HIS KITE
The Path Became a Ghost
CHRIS SLIGH
Sing, Vol. 1
The Little Songs album by Jon Guerra proved
one of the delights of 2015, a bright-eyed
collection of worshipful songs in the vein of
Jeremy Casella or the more acoustic side of
Owl City. Guerra returns now with a new set
that fulfills the promise of his earlier work, and
then some. Guerra glides effortlessly from
acoustic guitar/piano tones on the buoyant
Beatitude-themed opener “Kingdom of God”
to the rollicking 5/4 of “Citizens.” The allegorical
“Tightrope” evokes the hushed harmonies
of Simon and Garfunkel with the delicacy
of a Josh Ritter waltz, drifting unexpectedly
between major and minor modalities. Every
track offers a new surprise. Even when Guerra
turns to programmed beats on “Life Logic,” it’s
a heady mixture interwoven with strings, horns,
and stacked vocals. “Prettier than Solomon”
reinterprets Matthew 6:28-29 in modern terms:
“Even in napalm or a nuclear bomb, I don’t
worry about tomorrow.” As the 14 tracks wind
toward their conclusion, the duo of “Simple
Praise” and “My Truest Praise” recall the
reverently hushed side of Sufjan Stevens before
“Love Goes On” turns up the temperature
again with a meditation on Psalm 139. Kudos
to Guerra for expressing his faith creatively, and
his creativity faithfully. Encore!
David Wilton is part of the Colorado shoegaze
duo Loud Harp with Asher Seevinck; they have
three albums including the Psalm collection
Asaph (2014). It’s been eight years since Wilton
released his previous solo album under the
whimsical Kite moniker, but he’s back with an
ear-pleasing collection of tunes in the spirit of…
You know, it’s refreshing to run across an artist
who’s not easily categorizable. Wilton’s mostly
mellow mix of acoustic guitars, piano, and synth
pads, co-produced with Moda Spira’s Latifah
Alattas, recalls Rivers and Robots or Jars of
Clay. Is “gently driving” a thing? The theme of
family runs through this album whose title refers
to trusting the Holy Spirit when He nukes our
plans, in this case by the cancer diagnosis and
treatment endured by Wilton’s wife. Album
opener “Shadowlands” counsels Witmer’s son,
drawing on C.S. Lewis’ descriptions of our
transient lives on this Earth. “We are all born in
a foreign land… held in a Maker’s hand… lost in
a Shadowland, waking, walking, running to the
end.” This theme of life’s course carries through
in “Time” and “Sunny Day” and “past/today”
as well. “Words Underneath (Emmaline)”
expresses Wilton’s love for his daughter. He
also puts a breathtaking new melody to Bob
Dylan’s “With God on Our Side,” which for
almost sixty years has cautioned listeners not
too quickly to bestow divine approval on their
personal interests and causes. What a joy to
hear an album so deeply personal and finely
crafted all at once.
Why would you buy another album with the likes
of “How Great Is Our God” and “Surrounded”
and “Reckless Love”? Okay, in part because
they’re good tunes worth hearing again. But the
real attraction here is Chris Sligh. Ten years after
his introduction to the world on American Idol,
he remains one of the finest pop baritones out
there. He’s taken good care of his instrument,
despite a rough fight with COVID earlier this
year. Speaking of instruments: some indie
productions are little more than glorified demos.
Not so here. Sligh opts for a full band sound—
so full that you wouldn’t know that he arranged,
produced, played, sang, mixed, and mastered
every note himself. Talk about multi-talented!
Sligh doesn’t skimp on his arrangements,
either. Nineteenth century hymn “How Great
Thou Art” is now a breezy, four-on-the-floor
rocker with a galloping pulse. The programmed
“Mercy” compares favorably to Amanda Cook’s
original; as always, Sligh’s vocals are a welcome
addition. Chris Tomlin’s “The Wonderful Cross”
gets a fun EDM makeover, complete with bass
drop and side band compression, breaking
up the power ballad feel of some of the other
selections. Edge-like guitar flourishes and
stacked harmonies decorate “King of My
Heart.” Does the album title imply that a “Vol. 2”
is in the works? We can hope so.
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.
44 September 2020
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