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This CD contains a country flair, with influences of pop and contemporary Christian music styles. Ashton is well-known as a Christian artist; this is her sixth album. She is a Dove and Grammy Award winner and in 1994 opened for Garth Brooks on his European tour.
In comparison to her other albums, this one is a disappointment. I have always appreciated Susan as an artist with deep Christian lyrics which encourage a personal faith walk and foster praise and worship.
I was delighted to hear the words clearly over the music. However, her themes are nebulous and vague. Even after studying the lyrics, the message remains unclear. The themes seem depressing and hopeless. It was a disappointment that the words are not very "Christian" in nature. The problems of the world are stated" but solid solutions are not given.
Of all the songs, only one,--Body and Soul" really encouraged me in my walk with the Lord.
Musically, the contemporary "country-rock-pop" feel will appeal to a large audience, and the album holds great rhythmic and melodic interest. Ashton has collaborated her talents with artists, writers and producers from both the Christian and secular worlds. The quality is "top-notch" and very well balanced.
In summary, I am concerned with an album that appears to walk the middle road and does not take a strong stand. I enjoyed the music on A Distant Call, but found the lyrics distant indeed.
Carol Riediger is a volunteer worship leader at Chilliwack (B.C.) Central MB Church and a private piano teacher. She is a former music instructor at Bethany Bible Institute.
The Christian music scene suffers from an overabundance of comparisons. Go into any Christian bookstore and there will be a chart listing Christian bands and their secular sound-alikes. I will spare you the comparisons for this one. Newsboys are good. Coming out of Australia, this band combines crisp rock stylings with sensitive lyrics and a tongue-in-cheek attitude to the world around them. Sound like an interesting combination? It is.
Take Me to Your Leader is all about how the world views us as Christians and how, if we are doing it right, their approach should be that of "I don't know why you care/I don't know what's out there/I don't know where or how/Just take me to you leader, son." Talk about strangers in a strange land. Newsboys are produced by Steve Taylor, and if he's anything like he used to be, they should be around for a while producing solid, yet whimsical music. If there is any criticism for the `boys, it is that the odd song on the disc sounds like every other pop band that has come out of Australia in the last 20 years. The poppy, electro-synthy stuff that runs through every other song wears thin after a while.
When they allow their music to come out, they are golden. When they don't, they are thin. 7 out of 10.
Clay Bergen is a teacher in Big River, Sask.
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