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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

CD Reviews - I Can't Help Myself

Okay, just kidding - my posts are for you as well as me!  I called a friend to leave her a message of Lacrae's bonus track off of his Rehab CD.  It's all about giving props to his wife, and it's entirely catchy.  The other tracks to highlight are "God is Enough," "Used to do it to," and "Gotta Know."  I appreciate the sensitivity and brokenness in these songs and how they pointedly address the "stuff" that can cause a divided heart.  The CD calls it like it is and therefore is one of humility in large. Many listeners have heard "Background" which is the most mellow track of them all, and I was appreciative of the uptempo songs.  


Group 1 Crew is another Christian group who appreciates the art of dance.  In fact, I was caught twice at stoplights dancing with my kids.  This was our favorite CD for the summer.  Both "Outta Space Love" and "Rehab" are at the Sioux Falls library.
Selah's "Hope of the Broken World" will be released in stores August 23rd.  This group reminds me so much of the Mamas & the Papas or more recently Casting Crowns that I hear both of them on and off through their music.  The title track "Hope of the Broken World" identifies most with the elements of God's creation and the names of God.  "He'll Hold You" is a beautiful ballad with comfort in the conviction of the vocals. Again in "Turn to You" I found the harmonies more pronounced and a song with a lot of impact.  The first song on the CD "On the Mountain" is a song by Christa Wells, whose most known for "Held," but is also a vocal artist herself.  Look for "My Best Medicine" by Christa Wells.

And last, but not least, my boy Josh.  The last two Josh Groban CD's I've gotten have been gifts from my wonderful husband.  He knows he can't sing along to Josh Groban.  Three songs on the CD I found on the romantic side "Hidden Away," "Galileo" and "Straight to You."  "Higher Window" was written beautifully with a powerful message, and really "Galileo" made me think!  Leave it to Josh.  I appreciated how the perspectives were brought to light - how we can't get lost in the creation of the world, but we need to focus on the Creator. He says, "Love can make you ask some funny questions," maybe not so much funny but important!

2 comments:

Dan and Betty said...

Jennifer, I have to admit I'm not much into today's music. However, you asked some questions on our blog a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to answer them.

1. Our summer days are usually in the low 90s so we do ride in the morning. The big difference is our low humidity - usually 10 to 20%. When you step out of the sun into the shade the temperature drops 10 to 15 degrees. With our altitude (5,100 feet) our nights are very pleasant - usually in the low to mid 60s.

2. The Albuquerque area is about 750,000 folks. My little village, Corrales, has about 9,000. However the whole state of New Mexico has less than 2 million so there are a lot of unpopulated areas.

Here are some things you didn't ask. The population is primarily made up of Hispanics, Indians and Anglos. We have lots of friends who are Hispanic and Indian. It makes for an interesting relationship.

We have 310 days of sunshine each year. It's rare to have a cloudy day all day. We only get 9 inches of rain and most of it comes in July and August - our monsoon season. We average between 4 to 9 inches of snow each winter but it usually melts by the time the sun is fully up.

Our winters start in mid-December and last until mid-February. We can have nights in the single digits but our sunny days usually warm up to the low 40s. It's a very dry cold.

New Mexico has its problems but it's a good place to live if you like the outdoors. In one hour I can be in the mountains or in the desert. We have plenty of sand but no ocean.

Well, probably far more than you wanted, but I didn't want to ignore your questions.

Regards, Dan

Jennifer Noble said...

Hi Dan - Thanks for the update. Our kids did their first bout of horseback riding this summer and they LOVED it. I was so happy how calm they were and they would love to do it again. We visited some friends over the weekends with ponies they rode & it was the same thing. Beyond that, your weather and population sound great, as do the people... Sioux Falls is a fun place to visit in the spring, summer and fall, winter not so much. And you should try out a new CD - maybe the Selah! Blessings!