CD Review: From the Heart of Nashville, by Mark209

Mark209 is Nathaniel Justice (tenor), Jym Howe (lead), Jimmy Reno (baritone), and Joe Armstrong (bass). For some of you, Mark 209 may be familiar as 3/4 of the Mystery Men Quartet (Jimmy Reno being the exception). Most of the songs on From the Heart of Nashville can be found on the Mystery Men’s Blue Collar Gospel project. I have not heard that project, but according to Aaron Swain, who has, most if not all the vocals have been re-recorded and re-mixed. Also, two new songs have been added: Christmas southern standard “Down in Bethlehem” and patriotic Diamond Rio favorite “In God We Still Trust.”

Mark209 has described their sound as a hybrid of country and gospel. Baritone Jimmy Reno and tenor Nathaniel Justice are the more countrified half, while Jym Howe and Joe Armstrong anchor the group in their southern gospel roots. The result doesn’t end up straying too far from the typical SG quartet sound (despite comparisons to Diamond Rio), but there’s somewhat more twang in the mix than usual. Jim Howe’s expansive, resonant tones recall the classic southern gospel lead sound. He’s like a somewhat subdued McCray Dove (personality-wise as well as vocally ). On the flip side, Justice’s charming “squeak” reminds the listener that this is a country gospel quartet. When all the voices come together, it’s a hearty, well-rounded blend that goes down easy.

All the songs fall squarely in the country/gospel genre, with a nice mix of up-tempos , mid-tempos and ballads. None of the members of Mark209 write, but they’ve chosen songs from various sources that fit their style well. The production quality is good, featuring studio musician extraordinaire David Johnson on pretty much every instrument except piano. Some of the tracks that stood out to me were:

“Get Up In Jesus’ Name” — This is a country favorite that’s been covered by Gordon Mote. Mark209 raises the key and puts a full quartet spin on it. Nathaniel Justice gets a chance to cut loose, and he really shines with some power notes, especially towards the end. Possibly my favorite up-tempo cut.

“You Even Made the Tree” — This new song, which recalls the Cathedrals’ “I Thirst,” is the best ballad on the album. It showcases Jimmy Reno’s soothing country baritone. There’s nothing flashy about the song or the performance. It’s just tender, sweet, and understated. Listen to the studio cut here.

“My Home in Heaven” — This is their current single, a catchy mid-tempo number by Woody Wright which allows each member to show off vocally. “You can take away x, y and z… but you can’t take away my home in heaven.” It’s a good piece of music, and the lyrics are meaningful. The only thing is, they’re almost too depressing in places, which sits oddly with the upbeat sound. Among other things, the singer says, “You can ruin what’s left of my reputation/And you can kick me, kick me, kick me when I’m down/You can say bad things about me to my family and friends and make them cry … all cry …” Those lines are such a downer that they really need some sad, worn-out music to accompany them. However, it ultimately emerges as a hopeful song. Watch a live performance here.

“Down in Bethlehem” — Even though a Christmas tune always feels a little awkward on a non-Christmas project, I can’t find much to complain about since it’s one of the best tracks on the album. There’s some great kickin’ production, and they sound very comfortable singing it.

“Who Prayed For Me?” — This mid-tempo story-song along the lines of “Somebody’s Prayin” pays tribute to the people who often pray for us without our ever knowing it. It’s touching and heartfelt. My only quibble is that there’s a piece of melody in the verses that directly rips off the hook from the Statler Brothers hit “Flowers On the Wall,” note for note. So that bugged me just a tad (particularly since “Flowers On the Wall” is a much less uplifting song!) but otherwise it’s a definite keeper. Watch the original Mystery Men’s music video here.

“Wine Into Water” — Joe Armstrong has a conversational tone to his voice that lends itself to carrying this moving T. Graham Brown cover, a prayer from a struggling alcoholic who wants to break his addiction. Very country in the best way.

This project contains quite a few story-song ballads. They are all sweet and contain great messages. Though I’m not sure I agree with “Tougher Than Nails,” which is about a little boy who regularly gets beat up on his way home from school and is talked out of planning to defend himself with a baseball bat by his father, because after all Jesus let himself be nailed to a cross, etc. As a student of philosophy, I question the strength of the parallel, and as a future mother in training, I question the wisdom of the advice. (Though I suppose these days the little boy would get in trouble even if he was in the right. But if nothing else, at least take the kid out of school so he won’t get beat up anymore!) Production-wise, a couple of the quiet songs (“That’s How Jesus Sees Me” and “Daddy”) suffer from an overly heavy drum track that would be more appropriate on a big ballad. The quick insertion of a child singing “Jesus Loves Me” at the end of “That’s How Jesus Sees Me” would also have worked much better if it had been in the same key and tempo as the song itself.

Other solid up-tempo cuts include “The Blood of One Man,” “Count Me In,” and “The Book Of Life.” Their cover of Ronnie Hinson ditty “He’s Already On the Phone” definitely falls into the “guilty pleasure” department. Yes, it’s cliched and hokey, but the guys have so much fun with it it’s hard not to groove along in spite of yourself.

I was prepared to love their cover of “In God We Still Trust,” since it has a terrific message that makes it one of my favorite country songs. However, Nathaniel Justice re-worked the melody and rhythm on the first verse too much, singing it with less variety than the original, and the vocals just generally left me wanting a bit more. (They also change one of the lyrics in the first verse, singing it as, “This is one great nation, but we’re one nation under Him” instead of “There’s no separation, we’re one nation under Him.”) It may work better for them live, but in the studio it came off somewhat stilted. Diamond Rio’s arrangement is simply richer. However, song-wise, it’s a great pick.

I encourage anyone who likes country/gospel in the vein of the Dove Brothers or the Oak Ridge Boys to check out Mark209. They’re easy to like in every way. Besides being very capable singers, they’re great guys with a truly wacky sense of humor (if you don’t believe me, check out the “Back of the Bus” videos on their Youtube channel). I have every confidence that their popularity will only grow as they continue to hone their sound and build a repertoire of songs to call their own. From the Heart of Nashville is a solid debut to send them on their way.

(Review copy provided.)

CD Review: I Still Need Him, by Mark Bishop

I like Mark Bishop. He may not be a particularly impressive singer or musician, but there’s just something about his music, a quiet sweetness that refreshes me. He’s not even remotely affected or pretentious. His voice is gentle. His songs are simple.

My favorite song of his is “Let The Angels Take the Fallen,” but I wasn’t familiar with his other work except for a few cuts from Fields of Love (which I really need to go back and listen to in full). So I thought it would be a good time to check out his new project. It’s not the best album I’ve heard this year, but I’m glad I listened to it anyway. Here are my thoughts, track-by-track:

1. I’m Listening For the Call: This was an instant favorite. Its carefree ukulele/whistling intro evokes a salty sea breeze. It clocks in at just under three minutes, wafting away almost as soon as it’s arrived. The melody is catchy, but the lyrics are thought-provoking. The singer remembers hearing about the second coming as a child and not giving much thought to it, but now that he’s older he sees the prophecies fulfilling. Now, he is no longer looking for signs, because they are all around him. Instead, he’s “listening for the call.”

2. God Builds Churches With Broken People: A calming, gently heart-tugging ballad. It’s not innovative, it’s just a simple observation: God builds churches with broken people. And somehow, they find strength. And the broken become brand new. The production on this track lifts it up several notches—the violin is particularly evocative.

3. Job’s Wife: The story of Job isn’t very flattering to his wife. After all, she tells her husband to curse God and die. But this brief song takes a fresh perspective and tells the listener to “say a prayer, a prayer for Job’s wife.” She had lost everything her husband lost. When you think about it, it’s hard to blame her for despairing. As is typical of several tracks on this album, Mark has a neat idea but doesn’t deliver it quite as effectively as he could. The music has a cheerful waltz that seems to clash with the sober subject matter, and some lines fall a little flat. The result is pleasant but not a stand-out.

4. My Name is Jesus: I might take a bit of flak for this, but this song has yet to click for me either lyrically or musically. First, to set it up for people who may not have heard it, it’s arranged like a musical theater piece with different vocalists “playing” the parts of biblical characters in the Passion. It starts with Matthew (sung by Mark Bishop), then moves to Mary Magdalene (Lauren Talley), Peter (Ivan Parker), and finally a Roman soldier (implied to be Longinus, the one who said “Surely this man was the Son of God”).

This is a really neat idea. Unfortunately, there are a couple of lyrical inaccuracies. First of all, Mary says “I washed his feet,” but this confuses Mary Magdalene with Mary the sister of Lazarus. She is the only “Mary” who is recorded as washing Jesus’ feet. It appears that there were probably two occasions on which Jesus’ feet were washed by a woman, and the woman described like a prostitute in the other incident is unidentified. However, I won’t come down too hard on Mark for getting this wrong, since he’s not the first. Secondly, the Roman soldier says that he watched the scene between Mary Magdalene and Jesus, but the guards are out of the picture by that time. Besides, they were later bribed to say that the disciples had come and stolen the body. This soldier is made to sound like he completely believed that Jesus rose from the dead.

But my main beef with the song is that it takes far too long to get going and far too long to wind up. Four verses before the chorus is a lot even with key changes. It simply drags too much. But, if you’re very patient, you might enjoy this track.

5. Are You Going Where I’m Going: This track has a fun contemporary kick, less country than the rest of the album. It’s a cool change of pace. Actually quite a lot like Brian Free & Assurance—Mark does some improv at the end that recalls Bill Shivers.

6. I Still Need Him: The title track is a sweet, quiet little gem, by a margin the album’s best song. It had me from the piano intro. It’s got a classic country ballad feel. I could imagine Alan Jackson or someone like that performing it. Mark’s voice is very clear and natural on this track, the perfect complement to the sweet melody. Again, zero pretentiousness. The lyrics possess a childlike simplicity, mixed with startling wisdom. This line in particular, though ungrammatical, still packs a lot of emotional punch: “In agony with every breath, yet even on the verge of death, I needed Jesus more than he needed me.”

7. It’s My Turn: A nice little twist on the Prodigal Son story. Mark imagines the father pushing aside other people who bring him news that his son is coming, saying “It’s my turn to welcome him home.” Then in the second verse, he imagines the son dying first and welcoming his father into heaven. The lyrics are a little awkward (the second verse says clunkily in so many words “The Word doesn’t give clues to the story—who may have died first, the Father or Son”), but the concept is nice.

8. Your Easter Sunday Is On Its Way: This is a comforting message from God. The lyrics are very touching.

Yes, I listen when you pray

My heart is touched by every word you say

For I remember how the tears flowed

Oh, their memory will never fade

And child, the years have not diminished

The promise that I made…

The verse uses Good Friday to represent our long, dark nights of sorrow, but the chorus offers the hope of an approaching Easter Sunday that will bring joy in the morning. Three other singers join Mark to form a quartet. I can’t tell who they all are, but I think Chris Allman may be singing tenor. They have a soothing blend. (If anyone knows who handled bass or baritone, I’d be curious to know.)

9. That’s the Sound of a House Being Built On Love: Another song with a strong country feel. While “My Name Is Jesus” looks at the Passion in grand, epic style, this little number takes the perspective of a young boy watching it acted in a play, deacons dressed as soldiers with plastic spears. The boy begins to cry as the nails are hammered in, but the preacher draws him to his side and whispers reassuringly, “That’s the sound of a house being built on love. That’s where grace built the walls and the roof up above.” Great idea, but the next falls a little flat: “It’s the sound of a nail through the wings of a dove.” The poetic imagery doesn’t work for me there. I get it that Jesus was the Prince of Peace, and the dove is a symbol of peace, but I shy away from imagery that sentimentalizes the Passion. This line strikes me similarly to the line “like a rose trampled on the ground” (though it’s not quite as earth-shatteringly awful). However, the light, upbeat musical touch saves the track as a whole from wallowing in sheer sentiment.

10. One Drop of Blood Became a River: Mark really took his time with this lyric. The music is so quiet and laid-back at first that it’s easy to listen to this song on auto-pilot and miss the powerful detail in the words:

Coarse heavy timbers were dragged down the path.

Two rough-hewn beams, fastened together by nails and by straps.

The birds hushed their singing; from the crowd only jeers.

His muscle and sinew glistened in crimson, His eyes moist with tears.

Mark sings the lyric with an honest ache that is completely believable and moving. However, the stillness is broken when things pick up about mid-way through the song with a big choir and strained big production (there’s an electric guitar at the end that’s especially odd and misplaced). And unfortunately, the melody just isn’t as compelling as it needs to be to match the lyric’s force. But it still makes a poignant closing track.

I know it may seem like I found a lot to critique on this album, but I really did enjoy it. As you can see, I’m frequently reaching for words like “sweet,” “simple,” and “unpretentious” to describe the music. It probably won’t blow you away or  make you stagger back in thunder-struck awe, but it will make you smile and say “That’s nice… I like that.” The few moments where it strains for big-ness feel, if anything, a little out of place—like Rafe Hollister in a fancy suit. Mark is most in his element with just a few instruments and little or no background support, which fortunately makes up the bulk of this CD. I would recommend it for quiet, meditative moments when you need to re-focus your mind on the things of God.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review copy provided by Crossroads.

CD Review: Thank You Lord by Great Adventure Gospel Band

The southern gospel world was first introduced to the Garms family through this video of their youngest child, Caleb, with Legacy Five. 7-year-old Caleb stole the show with his easy charm and stage presence, making a couple members of the group uneasy about being able to keep their jobs in the long run (particularly Glen Dustin, when it was revealed that Caleb aspires to be a bass!)

Some time later, the entire Garms family became contributors to southerngospelblog.com, and their posts have become regular high points. When I discovered they were a traveling gospel band, I checked out the sneak peek of their debut album and was delighted at what I heard. They graciously provided a review copy at my request, and today I bring you my thoughts on this fresh project from the Great Adventure Gospel Band.

The CD was independently produced with technical mastering and mixing handled by Ben (age 20), the acknowledged techno-whiz of the family. Ben also provided all the guitar work (acoustic and electric), as well as some banjo and electric bass. Vocalists include Mom (Kris) and Dad (David), Ben, Taylor (age 19), Leesha (age 16), Sam (age 11), Jayme (age 9), and of course Caleb (age 7). Mandolin is provided by Taylor (with some contributions from Uli, another sister who doesn’t tour with the band), dobro by Leesha, piano by Kris and Taylor, violin by Jayme and Taylor, harmonica by David, and percussion by David and Sam. A few songs are completely handled by the female trio of Kris, Taylor, and Leesha, while others are completely handled by the trio of “Little Adventurers” (Sam, Jayme and Caleb).

The style ranges from straight-up southern gospel to bluegrass to folk. Here are some highlights:

“Leaning On the Everlasting Arms”: This features the female trio, who offer a very refreshing vocal blend and put a few twists on this familiar hymn. Leesha sings lead and sounds mature for her sixteen years, Taylor sings high harmony, and Kris sings alto. Ben provides some exceptionally smooth bass support as well. Perhaps this is a good indication of what Caleb will sound like in fifteen years or so!

“Wonderful Time Up There”: This is a father/son duet between David and Ben with backup from “the girls.” David sings the lead, but Ben really steals the show as we get to see his bass singing in full action on the familiar classic. He’s probably the family’s most polished singer at the moment. Kris also shines on piano. Really fun stuff, and it’s almost over too soon.

“Were You There”: Everybody shines on this folk-flavored arrangement of the dramatic spiritual. Ben’s haunting acoustic guitar provides the backbone for the instrumentation, but 9-year-old Jayme also plays an impressive, Celtic-sounding lead violin, with Taylor playing harmony violin. The little ones sing the first verse very movingly, Taylor sings a poignant solo on verse two, the female trio handles verse three, and the whole family sings the triumphant final verse. One minor quibble: My understanding is that the final verse changes the “it causes me to tremble” line to “I feel like shouting glory.” Here, it’s “tremble” all the way through.

We’re treated to some extra violin interplay as the arrangement closes. This cut is a major standout for sure. Great harmonies and production.

“Poor Wayfaring Stranger”: This is the most pure folk cut on the whole album, sung by the female trio. Their vocals here have that raw, hard-to-describe feeling that’s characteristic to folk music. It’s like something from the “O Brother Where Art Thou” soundtrack—unpolished, untouched, and appealing for precisely that reason. Definitely not a southern gospel sound, so it might have to grow a little on those who are unused to folk/bluegrass. But I think it fits the mood of the song perfectly. There’s an extra bit to the arrangement at the end which sounds pretty cool, with some ethereal effects added to the ladies’ voices. However, the sudden New Age feel does seem to clash musically with the earthiness of the rest of the arrangement. It’s a neat sound, just a slightly odd genre shift.

“Beautiful/Beautiful Savior Medley”: The female trio sings the first song in the medley, alternating between unison and harmony. Harmonizing with each other seems to bring out the best in their voices, and they do some of their best singing on this cut. The family resemblance among their voices is very strong. Then “Beautiful Savior” is sung by the whole family in simple, lovely acapella to finish the disc.

Also worth mentioning is that one song on here was written by a little adventurer! Jayme Garms is apparently a budding songwriter as well as singer/musician, and she wrote “I Need You Lord” when she was only seven. The song might not seem particularly remarkable by itself, but when the age of the author is taken into consideration, it’s rather impressive. A very simple, jangly folk tune, it follows a lyrical progression obviously inspired by Pilgrim’s Progress, as the singer asks for help to remove his burden, is told to go to the cross, and finds it taken off there. It will be interesting to watch as Jayme’s writing talents continue to mature. Other songs include “Lord I Want to Thank You,” “Bigger Than Any Mountain” (sung by the Little Adventurers), “He’s Still Working On Me” (ditto, and a great one to play for little kids), and “Power In the Blood.”

Southern gospel fans will definitely find much to enjoy in the song selection, even though some of the songs and arrangements sound more bluegrass/folk than gospel. It’s also worth checking out for its impressive production values. Even though it was mixed in a home studio, this does not sound like a cheap, shoestring project. And of course, fans of family harmony will be charmed by the range of ages represented here. Even the younger kids already have a striking grasp of harmony and blend. Their youthful contributions make this project especially appropriate for families with small children. But it truly is a CD for all ages. Definitely recommended. Hear clips and buy it here.

CD Review: Havin’ Church Live in California by the Bogg Family

David, Kelly, and Odie Boggs are a mixed trio from Ohio. Davy and Kelly have been involved in ministry/evangelism for a decade, and now they are joined by their grown daughter, who has cerebral palsy and a stirring testimony. Ben Isaacs is Davy’s first cousin, and he has produced their last few projects, which gives them a more polished sound than the typical regional group. Last year, they recorded their first live project in California. Says Davy about the song selection:

We sing mostly in church services rather than more formal concerts. Many of the good songs that groups write and record are tailored more toward a concert setting. They are very enjoyable to listen to and the lyrics are scriptural but they do not translate well into a worship services for us. We really have a hard time finding songs that work in a church setting. Therefore we end up doing a somewhat eclectic mix of old and new drawing from a wide variety of gospel music that has influenced us. Our background includes, bluegrass, Hymns, soulful mountain singing (similar to black gospel in many ways), 70′s CCM and of course heavy doses of southern gospel. You will find traces of all of this when we sing and minister and on this project.

This is a good summary of what you can expect to hear on this album. It has a raw, untouched sound that’s simultaneously exciting and worshipful. Percussion, bass, and piano (played by Kelly herself) were recorded live with organ and electric guitar dubbed in later by Jason Webb and Kelly Back. There are thirteen songs in all, interspersed with some “preachin’ ” from Brother Davy. Davy weaves the themes of the songs together with Scripture and will frequently make a connection between the last song and the next song. It sounds like nothing was abridged or edited out. Davy said that given what they have read about “the death of the live album,” they attempted as much as possible to leave the concert as it was, with minimal vocal fixes after the fact.

Although there was obviously wonderful chemistry between the Boggs and their audience, some aspects of the project may not translate as well to a private listening experience. For example, some may want to skip through the audio tracks to get to the music. Also, some tracks (“Ain’t Gonna Give Up Medley,”  “Never Would Have Made It,” “Miracle Man”) are enjoyable but long enough counting encores that I’m generally ready to move on before they’re finished. But despite a few weak moments, there is a lot to like on the project.

The group’s sound is very authentically SG, with Davy’s voice providing a rough, sturdy anchor for the blend. At times they recall the style of the Collingsworth family, while other times they have a soul-tinged sound reminiscent of the Crabbs. Kelly’s piano playing is tasteful and restrained. She is equally capable with a jazzy sound, e.g. “I Want to Thank You,” “Made Up Mind,” and a thoughtful ballad, e.g. “There is Power In the Name” and “I’d Rather Have Jesus.” Indeed, the latter is a definite highlight of the project, along with “The Solid Rock,” both of which she carries with her clear voice.

Daughter Odie sings alto, and she carries “There is Power” as well as their signature song “I Don’t Have a Prayer Without You.” Both are moving songs, and Odie introduces “I Don’t Have a Prayer” with some powerful words about having faith in the middle of her struggle with cerebral palsy.

Odie’s testimony is probably the highlight of the spoken portions, but Brother Davy brings many good insights into the Word and the Christian life between songs. I found his introduction to “Everything Is Gonna Turn Out Right” particularly meaningful, as he frankly rejects the “prosperity gospel” and presents the true message that Christians are not promised a life free of pain or trials, yet can live with hope and courage. The Boggs themselves are a living testimony of this truth.

The production is surprisingly strong for a regional album, and as mentioned before, this is the work of Ben Isaacs. Live and studio instrumentation are seamlessly blended together for a simple, yet rich sound. Kelly’s piano work is frequently enhanced and complemented by Webb’s organ, and Back’s guitar lends added texture to nearly every song. Also worth mentioning is the extra effort that was put into the liner notes: They provide color photos, complete lyrics, and full songwriter/musician information.

Vocally, the Boggs family are not the most polished group you will hear. But they don’t set themselves up to be. Davy says candidly in the acknowledgments, “We have never sounded as good as we would like.” However, they are making the very most of what they have, and you will enjoy their sound if you like country/gospel family harmony. It’s refreshing to hear a live project with this much spontaneity, and I would invite other artists to take notice. The listener feels like he is there with the audience, and you can hear the emotion behind every word Davy, Kelly and Odie sing. It may be rough around the edges, but it’s exactly what a live album should be: an experience.

Review copy provided. A positive review was not required.