Music Blast From the Past

Alright, I'm lying. This music isn't really from the past; it's all very current artists and albums. The title just means that this is music that I used to listen to a great deal, but now I only play it occasionally. This is the first and probably last time I will review female singers on this blog. I just don't generally like listening to women sing. Don't ask me why. Well, you can ask me, but I won't know the answer. Alright, let's get into it:

First up is a fairly new artist from New Zealand, Brooke Fraser. I got turned onto her music when I was (surprise surprise!) in NZ. Her first and only album so far, What to Do with Daylight, is a fairly eclectic mix of songs. She heavily utilizes the guitar, the piano, and some great strings to a lesser degree. The songs are generally mellow, but they range from upbeat jazz to stirring popish melodies to powerful, soaring ballads. Brooke Fraser has one of my favorite female voices that I have heard; it is rich and full of emotion and extremely easy to listen to. Overall, this is a very strong album that manages to transcend the fleeting trends in music that get old so quickly. Highlight tracks: "Arithmetic", "Indelible", "Mystery"

Next up is Tree63, a South African worship band. I'll be looking specifically at their album The Answer to the Question. Like I said, Tree63 is a worship band, so their music does talk quite overtly about Jesus. But it's not cheesy Christian music. This album is one that got a lot of play time when I first got it. It is comprised primarily of rock music; it may not be musical genius, but it is good. The tunes are a mix of upbeat songs and softer ballads; they are all very catchy, and as far as "worship" lyrics go, these rank at the very top of the line. If you are bored with the same old worship music, you should definitely check these guys out. If you don't like or have never listened to overtly Christian music, this is probably a good place to start. I'm going to go ahead and say that this is the best worship album that I've heard. The expanded edition of the album also comes with 3 very nice acoustic versions of their songs. Highlight tracks: "King", "You Only", "So Glad", "Paradise" (they are really all good, though).

Third tonight is another female artist, Bethany Dillon. Bethany is only 18 years old now. She started putting out music at 15. She has two albums: her self-titled debut and her second album, Imagination. Bethany is an extremely talented musician. Her lyrics show a maturity that is lacking even in many older artists today, and her songs are very relevant and have a poignant message for our generation. Bethany Dillon has a great voice, and it definitely continues to mature as she gets older. The music is very guitar-driven; the first album's music isn't particularly profound, but Imagination's music showcases more variety; the upbeat songs are more intense and the slower songs and much quieter and more personal and moving. On a side note, I met Bethany, and she is really very sweet and genuine... she seems so much older than 18. And she supports Gospel for Asia, and anyone who does that gets high marks in my book. And she has a great website. I very highly recommend these albums. This isn't the type of music that I usually listen to, but it is very refreshing and very beautiful. Highlight tracks (both albums): "Revolutionaries", "Why", "A Voice Calling Out", "Hallelujah", "Vagabond", "Be Near Me"

Alright, I was going to do a fourth band, but I changed my mind, because this is alredy too long. Ok, I hope you all have a great day. Come back soon to see the WOTW! It's a really nice word this week. Au revoir, mes chiens.

Your friendly neighborhood music aficionado,
Jillus