NEW MUSIC
[ SELECTIVE HEARING | Robert Berman ]
BRANDON HEATH JESS RAY
Faith Hope Love Repeat Pull the Stars from the Sky
to say about the future. Mortality seems to be
on her mind, judging from the album cover
depicting a dance with the shroud of death
and lyrics like “Whistling past the graveyard
Much of Heath’s seventh album is generic, mid-
tempo pop, but a few songs stand out. The
title track is a touching father’s meditation on
hopes for his child. “I want to take you for a ride
when you cannot sleep… I brought you into this
world, and I’m sorry it’s a little bit crazy.” But
the best track is the buoyant disco of “Got the
Love,” which has “instant hit” written all over
it. A strong theme of comfort runs through the
lyrics, as evidenced by song titles like “You’ll
Find Love Again” and “Don’t Be Afraid.” Album
opener “The Future is Bright” serves that theme
with anticipation of the return of Christ, while
the acoustic finale “Only One in the World”
ghost so I don’t hear him speak” (“How Do
You Know”). Bruce Cockburn accompanies
her on vocals and guitar for his 1974 song
“All the Diamonds,” while Peter Yarrow joins
her to render Peter, Paul, and Mary’s 1963
apocalyptic track “The Very Last Day.” The
title track, “Perfectly Imperfect,” and “Falling
Forward” show a woman coming to grips with
her limitations and failures. Instrumentation
sticks to a classic soul and pop country mix of
acoustic piano and guitar flavored with electric
leads, harmonica, and Hammond organ. Hall’s
vocals, throatier and raspier than before, have
lost none of their ability to convey her heart.
encourages the downhearted with sympathetic
Besides releasing a stellar live single of Jesus
Music classic “Easter Song” earlier this year,
Jess Ray also completed an album of originals,
armed only with her guitar and “recorded in
one day in an old mill” according to the liner
notes. Ray has one of those melting-chocolate
alto voices that you’d be happy to hear singing
the phone book, somewhere between Florence
Welch and Kim Hill. But she proves herself an
adept lyricist as well; “Water Wind Fire” (heard
in rock version on an EP last year) explores
three different metaphors for the power of God:
“We say that you’re consuming. Well, I’m a fool
for thinking you would only warm me. You’re
going to burn me up.” “The Answer for Every
lyrics and a tender delivery.
TAYLOR LEONHARDT Question” doesn’t just tell us we ought to praise
River House Jesus; it gives us dozens of reasons to do so.
PAM MARK HALL
CHRISTA WELLS
Mangle the Tango
Hatteras EP
Fans of Allison Pierce, Leigh Nash, and Patty
Griffin will love this North Carolingian’s folk/
Before Kari Jobe, before Rebecca St. James,
before Amy Grant, Pam Mark Hall was creating
beautiful acoustic music in the vein of Joni
Mitchell or Linda Ronstadt on mid-70s albums
like “Flying” and “This Is Not a Dream,” while
writing for Grant and others. Hall has turned
her attention to other pursuits more recently,
with sporadic recordings like the well-received
“Paler Shade” in 1993, and performing with
Jerry Chamberlain (Daniel Amos) as Pamelita
and Parker. She returns now with something
alt-country expressions of faith and frustration.
“When You Open Your Mouth” describes the
fears of moving to a new home, while “Today
If You Hear Him” lists language from the book
of Hebrews, inviting us to approach God as
children. “Sunday in the Park” chronicles the
course of a loving marriage, with tasteful piano
waltzing with string accompaniment. “Would
you be well from crushing anxiety and live
inside a peace you can’t understand?” Yes, we
would.
The Dove-award winning author behind Natalie
Grant’s 2006 hit “Held” has continued to unfold
a string of albums under her own name and
as half of the duo “More Than Rubies” with
Nicole Witt. In between a 2015 collection of
mainstream covers and a full-length album
due next year, Wells recently unveiled a trio
of new tracks, the highlight of which is the
optimistically bluesy “Getting My Hopes Up,”
which appears in both vocal and instrumental
versions. Her expressively quavering vocals call
to mind Karen Bergquist of Over the Rhine.
58
November 2017
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