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 By Kevin Pollard
• Steven Curtis Chapman: This Moment – Cinderella Edition, Sparrow
By now, many of you have heard of the terrible tragedy
that Steven Curtis Chapman and his family experienced May 21 – just
hours before this close-knit family was to celebrate the engagement of
their eldest daughter Emily and a graduation party for son Caleb.
Chapman’s youngest daughter, five year old Maria Sue, was
accidentally struck in the driveway by the SUV driven by his son. Maria was
rushed to hospital, but died of her injuries there. Maria was one of the
family’s six children – and one three adopted daughters.
As people from around the world lifted this family up
in their prayers, the previously scheduled release of This Moment – Cinderella Edition,
featuring a song inspired by Maria, was already on its way into
distribution. The poignant lyric of ‘Cinderella’ takes on a
heart-wrenching new depth in light of the tragedy – as he encourages
parents to soak in every moment spent with their children, because they are
a gift from God. This re-release of his 2007 This
Momentalbum also includes an acoustic version
of ‘Cinderella,’ and three never before released songs.
stevencurtischapman.com
• Starfield: I Will Go, Sparrow/EMI
The offstage turmoil surrounding Starfield (see story
in this issue) has overshadowed their music recently. So perhaps now is a
good time to focus on their third album. I Will
Gois one of the best worship albums of the
year. It has the perfect combination of high energy, infectious guitar
riffs – on songs like ‘From the Corners of the Earth,’
‘The Loveliest Sound’ and the title song – and balances
that with intimate, corporate worship songs like ‘Reign in Us,’
‘Remain’ and ‘Hiding Place.’ The missions-focused
lyrics throughout this album challenge the listener to “let this life
be used for change,” as they sing: ‘I will go, Lord send me, to
the world / To the lost to the poor and hungry / Take everything I am /
Clay within your hands / I will go, I will go, send me.’ The 12
modern, guitar-driven worship songs here not only make this the best 2008
release by a Canadian artist – but also one of my own favourite
albums of the year.
starfieldonline.com
Shawn McDonald: Roots, Sparrow
On his third studio album, Shawn McDonald offers
a collection of acoustic folk-soul songs which combine the lyrical depth
heard on Ripenwith
the accessible pop melodies of his debut, Simply
Nothing. Roots contains songs that point us back to scripture, to find
clarity in our lives, and return to what’s most important: the roots
of our faith. Not only is there lyrical depth here, but the layers of
musical diversity – making use of strings, guitar, percussion and
even a toy piano – immediately draw the listener in. Highlights here
include the acoustic pop-shuffle ‘Clarity’ (co-written with
Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman), the pop-groove of ‘Wash Me
Clean,’ co-written with Marc Byrd (‘God of Wonders’) and
‘Captivated’ – where he sings: “The sand on the
shore and the waves in the sea / The air in my lungs and the way You made
me / That’s what draws me to You.”
shawnmcdonald.com
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• The Rubyz: The Rubyz, iShine
The latest entry in the tween/teen Christian pop music
scene – to fill the void left by the recently disbanded Jump5 –
comes from The Rubyz. Their name originates from Proverbs 31, a
passage which extols the virtues of honourable women, whose price is
“far greater than rubies.” This is admirable, but the cheesy
spelling and album cover may drive many music buyers away. Made up of three
friends: Marissa (age 13), Alexis (14) and Cammie (16), they offer far more
of a pop/rock edge than I expected – thanks to producer Chris
Omartian (Hillary Duff, Pink, Jump 5). Lyrically, though, there is
very little depth here, with songs like ‘Staring at the Sun’
– and two covers: The Go-Gos’ ‘We Got The
Beat,’ and Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella.’ Some spirituality
appears in the mellow pop song ‘In My Life,’ the ballad
‘Thirteen’ and ‘We Shine.’ The latter is a pop
anthem, declaring, “We are the redeemed/ We are the ones who are
free/ And we belong to Jesus.”
therubyz.com
• Andy Hunter: Colour, Nettwerk
This world class DJ’s latest is the highly
anticipated follow-up to 2002’s Exodus. Combining a passion for God with a strong creative vision,
Hunter brings his electronic/trance music to high profile ads and
endorsements (Microsoft), to film and television (The Italian Job, Alias, The
Matrix: Reloaded) – and most recently to
the score of Ben Stein’s independent film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.
Three of the tracks on this album are featured in the successful Dance Praise Christian video
game. Guest artists appearing on the album include Shaz Sparks (dba, Howard
Jones) and Midge Ure (Ultravox).
andyhunter.com
July 2008
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