Bruce Carroll

Item: One Summer Evening... Live
Author: Keith Sherwood

One Summer Evening... Live

(1995)

Reviewed by Keith Sherwood

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Label Word RecordsThe LighthouseApril 1995

ccm country singer-songwriter

With four well-made albums, many country/AC hit songs, and numerous concerts across the U.S., it's no wonder Bruce Carroll is one of Christian music's top country singer/songwriters. He has defined his style with honest lyrics and a blend of country, light rock, and acoustic pop that produces a sound which is enjoyed by a diverse audience.

I was able to attend a Bruce Carroll concert a few years ago. It was a fun, relaxed, laid-back time. He was very personable with the audience and shared stories and a lot of jokes. The concert was a short one, but I left with a better understanding of him and his music.

Now the concert experience can be brought home with Bruce Carroll's new album, One Summer Evening... Live. Taped at a concert in Nashville, this is a live collection of some of Carroll's best songs (11 of them) mixed with two brand new ones. This project (CD, Cassette, or Video) gives you a concert with everything except for one thing: there's hardly any talking--except for a few seconds. I was disappointed in this regard, but what the album lacked in chit-chat, it made up in good music.

The album opens with "If We Only Had The Heart." Adding just a little more country twang (vocally and instrumentally), the song gives a good, upbeat intro to the album. It is quickly followed by one of Carroll's newest songs, "Walk On." He gives this one a more subdued sound and doesn't sing as high as usual.

I have to say that the background players and singers, along with Carroll, really shine on this album. Never overdoing it, the background singers give a subtle lift to every song.

I could list each song, but instead of that, I'll give you one of the highlights. One of the two new songs, "Shadow and Light," is outstanding. With a layered sound of guitars, keyboard, bass, and background vocals, this song breaks from the norm. Discussing the fact that opposites are always fighting within Christians, this song declares:

"I am shadow, I am light/I am wrong and I am right/sometimes shining oh so bright/sometime fading into night/though you see this war in me/you know all that I can be /I am precious in your sight/you walk with me through Shadow and Light"

Bruce Carroll has made an album that not only chronicles the best of his previous releases, but also shows his talent for writing and singing songs that challenge and encourage. If you're a fan, and even if you aren't, this album is one to get for your collection.