Caedmon's Call

Item: Caedmon's Call
Author: Robert Berman

(1997)

Reviewed by Robert Berman

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Label Warner AllianceThe LighthouseJune 1997

acoustic acoustic rock ccm folk rock

Christian music in the mid-nineties has been afflicted by a distressing decrease in the widespread availability of artists in the acoustic singer-songwriter tradition. With the death of Mark Heard, the closing of the Storyville label, and the relative silence of established artists like Rich Mullins, Bob Bennett, Billy Crockett, and Randy Stonehill, these have not been good years to find major label releases that cry to be strummed along with. But meanwhile, in basements and Bible studies across the nation, acoustic music is being created for the praise of God and the discussion of Christian issues. And now, thankfully, some of this homespun talent is finding a national stage. This is where Caedmon's Call comes in. This sextet, long the house band at Houston's popular Metro Bible Study, has built a rabid regional following for their aggressive acoustic sound on two independent releases. Their debut for Warner Alliance combines remakes of their finest previous material with a pleasurable helping of newer surprises.

First, there's the basic sound. Acoustic guitars form the core of the band, played by Cliff Young and Derek Webb, who share lead vocal responsibilities with Danielle Glenn. Aric Nitzberg offers both upright and electric bass to the rhythm section, made all the more interesting by the presence of not one, but two percussionists, Garett Buell and Todd Bragg. The vocalists combine their varied gifts formidably, with Young smoothly bridging the gap between Webb's gutsy angst and Glenn's sweet propriety.

Anyone who ever wondered, "Just what does a producer do?" should compare this album with the band's previous works. Don McCollister, recruited from his work with Indigo Girls, brings the group to a height only hinted at on their My Calm, Your Storm and Just Don't Want Coffee releases, as songs like "Close Of Autumn" bloom under his direction. Most shocking of all is the transformation of former acoustic rocker "Not The Land," which now boasts an electric edge worthy of an MTV Buzz Clip. Anyone who even halfway enjoyed their previous albums can rest assured that this one is well worth their saved pennies.

This album isn't simply a retread of previous song ideas in new clothes. Accompanying the six "old" songs are five new songs from the band, plus a tasty cover of "Hope To Carry On," one of the nicest gifts Rich Mullins ever gave to the listening public. The first single, "Lead Of Love," is as close as the album ever comes to normal Christian radio fare in its "God's love as seen in retrospect" message and pleasant harmonies. "Bus Driver," with its jaunty wit and goofy piano sound, is easily the best of the new songs. "Center Aisle" is a valiant attempt to pull off the sort of emotion found in the solo acoustic songs of old Melissa Etheridge or Indigo Girls' Amy Ray, but while the lyrics about a funeral are incisive and appropriately somber, there just isn't enough melody to carry a song for nearly six minutes without a more varied arrangement. "Stupid Kid" also boasts profound words about the source of our value, and it has a catchy chorus, but the one-line verse melody approaches monotony on repeated listenings.

Lyrically, Caedmon's Call sets a standard that could be an example for most songwriters. Their approach has more in common with the "bare it all" approach of Alanis Morissette than with the "God loves me and everything's fine" mentality that pervades much of Christian music. In general, Derek Webb offers songs with a higher "allegory" quotient, while Aaron Tate, former guitarist and now songwriter-in-absentia, delivers clearer but more general lyrics based on life's experiences. Webb deserves special kudos for rewriting "I Just Don't Want Coffee," adding depth and clarity to this wrenching tale of the frustrating chemistry that occurs when Christians date non-believers. Here, as on the rest of the album, vulnerability and admitting of failure is the main order of business, with lines like "There's tarnish on the Golden Rule" and "I'm so wound up Lord, I can't even breathe" setting the contrast between our human need and God's gracious provisions.

In several ways, this album sets examples for what could be a new direction for popular Christian music. Write about what you really feel, even if the problems aren't "fixed" by the song's end. Seek out your own audience. Know your style and don't compromise it. Consider working outside the congenial but small fraternity of Nashville studios and musicians. It's heartening to know that since this album was finished six months ago, Caedmon's Call has continued writing and performing even newer songs and is touring with a variety of other regional Christian music "secrets." We can only hope that some of those secrets will come to national attention, as Caedmon's Call now has. If this album doesn't represent the "Best New Artist of 1997," then I can't wait to see what does.