Album Reflections

 

U2- "Joshua Tree"  One of the greatest records ever. This album
always makes me fall in love with music all over again. The purity of
Bono’s voice on this album is unbelievable. There is an overall lack of
pretentiousness that makes this album seem organic and raw.


Isaac Freeman and The Bluebloods- "Beautiful Stars"  Isaac Freeman is
the bass vocalist for the infamous black gospel group, The Fairfield
Four. This album is great. It brings the world of blues and traditional
black gospel together. It’s musically a bit darker, and as many gospel
records do, Freeman does some new twists on some very old songs. The
historical connection of black gospel music is encouraging to my faith,
seeing as such powerful expressions of faith could come from amidst times
of slavery, racism and oppression. This album marks the fourth version
of “Jesus Is on the Mainline” my wife and I have in our home.


Linford Detweiler- "Unspoken Requests"  If my life was a foreign film, I
would want this album to be the soundtrack. It’s extremely reflective,
romantic and meditative. A gorgeous collection of simple songs. Linford
remains among my favorite artists. His solo work away from Over the
Rhine has always touched a deep place in my heart.
 

Moby- "Play"  I know this album is a few years old, but it brings
together many of my favorites things – old black gospel melodies, melodic
synth arrangements and heavy electronic beats. I wish Moby had camped out
in this vein of music longer. I think the last track on this album is
so tragically beautiful. It breaks my heart every time I hear it.


Wonderful Smith- "Hello, It’s Wonderful"  I love these guys. They’re so
creative. It’s hard to describe this album. It all sounds like the same
band, but it doesn’t really fit into a genre. It’s got really tight
grooves, but at the same time it has the sloppiness of a nostalgic indie
record. "Gunner Car" is such a great song. It makes me want to dance.
 

Ollabelle- "S/T  I loved this album from the moment I heard it.
One of the reasons I like this record is that they honor the original
black gospel genre while bringing the songs into something a bit more
natural for a bunch of white Manhattan musicians to be doing. It’s moody
and distorted, rock breathy vocals with bluegrass ear candy and
Americana instrumentation.

Thomas A. Dorsey- "Precious Lord"  Thomas A. Dorsey wrote so many great
songs. Among my favorites on this album are “It’s A Highway to Heaven”
and “What Could I Do If It Wasn’t For the Lord?” This is among my
favorite style of black gospel. Unlike Fairfield Four and Blind Boys of
Alabama who represent the harmony group era, this album represents 70% of
what most American black churches are doing today. It’s a Hammond organ,
a soulful vocalist and 1,2 beat that forces you to clap your hands.
Truly, an album of songs that encourage vocal and physical expressions of
worship – a genre that accurately reflects joy.

Monarch- "The Grandeur That Was Rome"  Brennan Strawn’s voice is unreal.
The songs on this album are great. Among the best are “Turn Around”,
“Just Perfect” and “Tracing Paper”. This album SOUNDS great. The
instrumentation is entrancing. Incredible passion on this record.

Jeremy Quillo- "rough mixes for the new album"  These songs are
everything I have been waiting for Jeremy to record. They sound like Jeremy.
The lyrics are unreal. The energy of the music as Jeremy sings “You
turned my mourning into dancing! My sadness into laughter!” is perfect.
Jeremy is lyrically gifted in ways I have rarely, rarely seen elsewhere.
His songs are not trite, mass-produced, rehashings of pop culture
worship. His songs are artistically respectable, melodically suitable, and
find their roots in scripture.
 

Sigur Ros- "Agactis Byrjun/ ( )"  Both of these albums are beautiful.
Sigur Ros is perhaps the greatest live band I have ever seen. My ears have
yet to ever hear anything like it. Both of these albums are simply
beautiful. Quiet, intense, angelic, distorted. Beautiful artistry.