Reviews

REVIEWS

MUSIC

Conversations, by Sara Groves, INO (Word), CD £13.99

THERE’S a thin line between songwriters who put their message across powerfully and succinctly, and those who resort to artless sloganeering and Bible-bashing. Happily Sara Groves falls into the former category – appealing Suzanne Vega-like delivery, and more quotable material on Conversations than I can squeeze into this review.

The title track sets standards for the rest of the album: "I don’t claim to have found the truth, but I know it has found me" is just one memorable line embedded in a song written as one half of a dialogue with an unbeliever.

Drawing heavily on the musical motif of Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car, The Word reflects on the opening verses of John’s Gospel: "The Word was, and the Word is, and the Word will be ... and the Word I need is the Word who put on flesh and dwelt with us."

And who hasn’t experienced the heartsearching of Hello Lord? "Right now I don’t hear so well and I was wondering if you could speak up … I don’t doubt your sovereignty, I doubt my own ability to hear what you’re saying and to do the right thing and I desperately want to do the right thing."

Challenging and thought-provoking.

Passionate worship

Open, by Yfriday. Survivor Records, CD £14.99
Eighteen months after their Rainmaker debut and tour with Noel Richards brought Yfriday to audiences beyond their home territory in the North East, follow-up release Open delivers another welcome dose of intense, passionate worship.

Inner cleansing and healing are underlying themes on several songs, reflecting the band’s face-to-face ministry. Opening number Creator sets the scene – "You’re washing me down … I give my love to my creator"; At The Cross asks "Can I call you my friend, come before you as I am?", before finding the assurance "I’m washed whiter than the snow ... from the moment that I met you at the cross”; and finale Shelter confidently announces "From the storms of life, from my tears … from this raging inside, from myself, Lord you give me shelter."

Elsewhere real Christian joie de vivre is the result – titles Head Over Heels, Praise and Joy speak for themselves, with an exuberance to match in the music. But like Thank You For The Cross (on Rainmaker), I Love You contrasts with the full-on sound of the other tracks, and this intimate focal point midway through reaches out for the Lord – "My saviour, my lover, my king, come to me again."

That’s how the healing begins.

Peter Dilley is a bass guitarist and co-ordinator/mentor for a support scheme for young people with learning disabilities, with the charity InterAct

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		REVIEWS MUSIC Conversations, by Sara Groves, INO (Word), CD £13.99 THERE’S a thin line between songwriters who put their message across powerfully and succinctly, and those who resort to artless sloganeering and Bible-bashing. Happily Sara Groves falls into the former category – appealing Suzanne Vega-like delivery, and more quotable material on Conversations than I can squeeze into this review. The title track sets standards for the rest of the album: "I don’t claim to have found the truth, but I know it has found me" is just one memorable line embedded in a song written as one half of a dialogue with an unbeliever. Drawing heavily on the musical motif of Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car, The Word reflects on the opening verses of John’s Gospel: "The Word was, and the Word is, and the Word will be ... and the Word I need is the Word who put on flesh and dwelt with us." And who hasn’t experienced the heartsearching of Hello Lord? "Right now I don’t hear so well and I was wondering if you could speak up … I don’t doubt your sovereignty, I doubt my own ability to hear what you’re saying and to do the right thing and I desperately want to do the right thing." Challenging and thought-provoking. Passionate worship Open, by Yfriday. Survivor Records, CD £14.99 Eighteen months after their Rainmaker debut and tour with Noel Richards brought Yfriday to audiences beyond their home territory in the North East, follow-up release Open delivers another welcome dose of intense, passionate worship. Inner cleansing and healing are underlying themes on several songs, reflecting the band’s face-to-face ministry. Opening number Creator sets the scene – "You’re washing me down … I give my love to my creator"; At The Cross asks "Can I call you my friend, come before you as I am?", before finding the assurance "I’m washed whiter than the snow ... from the moment that I met you at the cross”; and finale Shelter confidently announces "From the storms of life, from my tears … from this raging inside, from myself, Lord you give me shelter." Elsewhere real Christian joie de vivre is the result – titles Head Over Heels, Praise and Joy speak for themselves, with an exuberance to match in the music. But like Thank You For The Cross (on Rainmaker), I Love You contrasts with the full-on sound of the other tracks, and this intimate focal point midway through reaches out for the Lord – "My saviour, my lover, my king, come to me again." That’s how the healing begins. Peter Dilley is a bass guitarist and co-ordinator/mentor for a support scheme for young people with learning disabilities, with the charity InterAct © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.