Avalon

Item: In A Different Light
Author: Jin

In A Different Light

(1999)

Reviewed by Jin

Discogs Apple Music TIDAL Amazon Music Spotify YouTube Music

Label Sparrow RecordsThe LighthouseUnsorted 1999

adult contemporary ccm pop

Over their previous two albums, Avalon has shared Christian pop with many fans. On In A Different Light, Jody McBrayer, Janna Potter, Michael Passons and Cherie Paliotta offer a similar vein of music that Avalon fans have come to enjoy.

The strength of Avalon lies in how they integrate four rather distinct and different voices into the songs. In A Different Light has many songs that highlight the strengths of the individual voices in the foursome. As a result, songs like "Can't Live A Day" end up being powerfully rendered mainly because the voice was effectively matched with the song itself. The trick was to put the right voices to the right songs and producer Brown Bannister seems to have done a good job of that with Avalon. Having said that, one of my favourites in the album, "Take You At Your Word," has all four Avalonians singing together in an upbeat, guitar-laced song.

The focus of In A Different Light is on the dependence of humankind on God. "Can't Live A Day" speaks of how many things around us point us to God. "In A Different Light" speaks of the imminent heaven-bound journey of the believers of Christ. "In Not Of" speaks of being in but not of the world. "Only For The Weak" points to the logic of strength in weakness, focusing on the transformation of the Christian. "Always Have, Always Will" reminds us of God's faithfulness to us.

Overall, this album lives up to what Avalon's identity stands for, a medieval term that means heaven - it was seen as a place where kings and children of royalty would spend eternity. As Christians we are children of royalty, we are heirs to the throne. And one day we will spend eternity in heaven.

This album should suit the pop music lover. In A Different Light may sound somewhat derivative at the first few sittings but I think their album cannot be listened to hastily. Take time and enjoy it and you will probably find yourself liking it. It would be good the hear a wider range of pop from Avalon. Because of their pop-centric lyrics, I found that there is a certain "lightness" to their songs. But hey, the same thing was said of Point of Grace, but it didn't stop their music from ministering to the countless who listen to their music. And I believe Avalon is poised to do the same.