River (1998) by Jamie Soles

Much of contemporary Christian music is like bubble-gum for the ears: it tastes good but doesn't have a whole lot of nourishment. Recent studies show that a person can lose up to 11 pounds in a year if they chew gum all their waking hours. So far no studies have been carried out concerning the weight-loss benefits of contemporary Christian music. We'll keep you posted.

Though some contemporary Christian music is skilful and enjoyable, the number of artists whose lyrics are more than spiritual baby-food is somewhat sparse. It is refreshing to find a performer whose music is both well-produced and has substantive lyrics. Although you won't be seeing life-size cardboard figures of him in your local Christian book store, Jamie Soles has combined both qualities in his album, River. This is music with both depth and beauty.

With the exception of the electric and ebow guitars (skilfully played by Eldon Winter), Jamie performs all of the instruments on River and arranges and produces all of the songs. This is made all the more remarkable by the fact that each song has a different sound to it, another thing somewhat rare in the Christian music world.

A striking quality of Jamie's music is its honesty. It is apparent when he sings, 'You Oh Lord, are the Lord my God / I will have no other gods,' that he means exactly what he says. From the lullaby 'Close Your Eyes (Timbrel's Lullaby)' to the anthemic 'No Other Gods,' this album provides passionate vocals which stir the heart deep within. The harmony vocals also stand out, showing Jamie's skill at arranging vocal tracks.

This emphasis on vocals is shown at the very beginning of the CD with 'Love of the Lord,' an a cappella song reminding us of the truth of Romans 8:35-39: Nothing can separate us from the love of the Lord when we are His. The title track also features powerful vocals and attractive harmonies employed at the high point of the song. Although he prefers to keep to a folk-like tune, Jamie is not afraid to introduce elements of rock, as in the more upbeat song, 'No Other Gods.' What makes this song so compelling, is the poetically rephrased words of the Ten Commandments, performed with skill and force. Whether he is playing rock'n'roll or soft lullabies, you don't want to skip to the next song while listening to this CD.

A prominent attribute of the album is the acoustic guitar. The more upbeat songs feature enjoyable, energetic chord playing, however, it is when Jamie is playing picking patterns that he is at his best. On the songs 'If I Were a Father' and 'Close Your Eyes (Timbrel's Lullaby)' the patterns are most noticeable, providing an excellent background for the lyrics.

Lyrically, my favourite song is 'How Long Oh Lord,' which is a mixture of the prophets' cries for God to come and make Himself known to the nations. Another song which deserves mention is 'If I Were a Father,' which tells a variation of the parable of the prodigal son, in which Jamie pictures himself as a hard-hearted man who would not forgive his son like the father forgave his son in the parable:

If I were your father and you were my son I wouldn't be watching and waiting And if I should see you come 'round the bend I'd hope for a lot of explaining If I were your father and you were my son You'd stay in the rags that you're wearing No shoes for your feet, no hat for your head No ready embrace to be sharing If I were your father and you were my son Forget the idea of a party I'd take you out back to the caretaker's shack And treat you as no longer worthy

The song ends with thankful praise:

If I were your father and you were my son And you did to me all the things I have done I shudder to think of what should have become But You are the Father and I, I am the son You are the Father and I, I am the son

River reminds me of the late Rich Mullins' music; both make frequent use of Scripture in their lyrics and the style and quality is also similar. On the musical side, Jamie's guitar playing is reminiscent of the music of Scott Dente (of Out of the Grey), Phil Keaggy, and Wes King.

This an excellent album. I highly recommend it. My only personal lament about River is that its upbeat songs are too few: 'Arrows', 'No Other Gods', and 'How Deep' are excellent and leave me wanting more. It is a pity that this album is not more widely known, because these lyrics, heavily flavoured as they are with God's word, need to be heard by people around the world.

If you would like to buy Jamie's CD you can also email me for more info.