Pop

Koch Records (Koch Entertainment Distribution)

0-99923-51082-6

Music veteran Paris is back with an album that until recently was only available at LifeWay Christian Stores. Paris, whose career has spanned three decades and produced dozens of hit singles, offers a solid collection of gentle pop that’s in keeping with her past work.

Though far from edgy or innovative, this clean-sounding album is quite good at points, particularly with “You Lead Me,” which has a jazz piano motif that reminds one of Ginny Owens, and “Alleluia,” a pretty ballad that brings to mind the music of Amy Grant.

“Alleluia” is probably the best song here, though “We Know Love” and “You Are a Great God” are good and occasionally offer just the right touch.

The biggest criticism is that this album can at times seem cloying, or least too mild-mannered. But much of this quiet music is tailor-made for a Christian women’s conference—especially the snappy “Live to Praise You”—and that’s undoubtedly the target audience for this pleasant collection of biblically based songs.

Take Everything

Seventh Day Slumber

BEC Recordings (EMI CMG)

5-09992-28003-2-9

Seventh Day Slumber plays alternative rock with melodic vocals, orchestral sounds and big guitars, but much of the guitar work is scaled back on Take Everything, a collection of praise & worship standards. In its place, listeners will find sincerity and restrained arrangements.

The band doesn’t do too much with songs like “Famous One” and “Nothing But The Blood,” but there’s something about Joseph Rojas’ vulnerable vocals that makes this record worth hearing.

The biggest surprise comes on the MercyMe song “I Can Only Imagine,” which the band transforms into interesting alternative rock. This mostly quiet album is not only a good choice for Seventh Day Slumber fans, but also for fans of pop-rock praise & worship.

Praise & Worship

More Than I See

Seth Condrey

Koch Records/Kosmos Records
(Koch Entertainment Distribution)

0-99923-55722-7

A worship leader at North Point Community Church outside of Atlanta, Condrey’s second album is an interesting collection of praise & worship tunes and modern rock-infused pop ballads. Condrey, an American who learned Spanish in South America and won a Gospel Music Association Dove Award for his 2007 album De corazon a corazon, is pretty impressive singing in his native tongue, too.

Many of these songs mine the musical middle ground between Paul Baloche and Phil Wickham, and nearly all of these songs work. Condrey also has a versatile voice, sometimes sounding like Jon Foreman, and other times, Marc Broussard.

There’s not a bad song here, though some are more notable than others. “More Than America” is a wake-up call to the church, informed by Condrey’s cross-cultural experience, while “Joy to Life” is a sweet acoustic love song that’s impossible not to like.

More Than I See is a very good album, and since Condrey is only 25, listeners can look forward to his getting even better at his craft as time goes on.

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