David Robertson

Item: Someone Who Cares
Author: Stephen Trickey

Someone Who Cares

(1996)

Reviewed by Stephen Trickey

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Label Star Song RecordsThe LighthouseJune 1996

adult contemporary ccm pop

Let's get to the meat of this review. David Robertson's Someone Who Cares is one very good record. I have never been quite sure what "sophomore jinx" really meant, but with this, his second release, Robertson side-stepped it nicely. I also admit that I am not one of those folks that believe that every project an artist delivers has to be different. Granted, no one wants to hear the 20th project sound exactly like the 1st, but when an artist finds their groove, change isn't always necessary. Such was the case with Robertson. His debut project, Soul Embrace, was a nice collection of pop tunes. Its success was further evident with three Top 5 songs, with "Goodbye To Me" going all the way to #1.

On the surface, this project is much like the first one. It has the same producer in Paul Mills, many of the same studio players and Robertson either writes or co-writes 90% of the tracks. Yet, the changes he made with these 10 songs are immediately evident. Robertson's lyrics have always been up-front, but these literally touched my soul. His vocals have always been pure and strong, but here they are delivered with overwhelming conviction. Whether it is new spiritual experiences or simple musical maturity, Robertson's growth shines through brightly.

The opening track, "This Is The Day," is a smooth mid-tempo song that ultimately reaches a high level of excitement, as lush background vocals give it some depth. The second track, "Someone Who Cares," is a ballad that begins gently with an inspiring piano melody. Unlike the up-tempo tracks, he uses less background vocals here. As the song begins its final chorus, however, it picks up the pace with a rousing finish with bolder guitar play and higher vocals. This song is a great example of the deep soul-searching lyrics on this record. It speaks of the realization that God needs us to be a certain kind of person-to be someone who cares for others.

With these first two tracks, the project starts a process of alternating upbeat songs with stirring ballads. This gives the collection a wonderfully meshed blend of musical moods and styles. Regardless of style, each song presents a wonderful spiritual message. In the ballads such as "Love Is An Uphill Climb," (co-written with Ray Boltz), "All For One" and "We Have Won," a common thread is woven of spiritual victory despite circumstance. These songs are beautifully presented by Robertson's soulful vocal performance. The ballad that really hits home is "I've Been There Too." The setting is Jesus speaking and saying that He understands all the pain and hurting you may have; He understands because "I've Been There Too:"

I've been there too Right where you are When hope seemed further out of reach Than a distant star You're not alone. In this pain you're going through Oh I understand 'Cause I've been there too

As with Soul Embrace and his part on the Imperials' Love's Still Changing Hearts, Robertson delivers several solid upbeat pop tunes. However, on Someone Who Cares, they are done with Robertson digging a little deeper vocally than the standard pop song. Again, he does this with his lyrical content intact. Along with the first cut, "This Is The Day," two other tracks give the collection the pop sound he wanted and presents an inspiring stand as a Christian. With "I'm For Jesus," he uses some electric guitar and rousing background vocals (including Ron Hemby, Chris Willis & Lisa Bevill) to give it some oomph. Lyrically, it states that in case anyone missed what his life is for,

I'm for love and I'm for peace I'm for the resurrection power that lives in me I'm for the cross, I'm for the light I'm for the blood of Calvary that's changed my life I'm for the One who frees us I'm for Jesus

In what was my favorite track and probably the boldest statement of all, "Playing Church Again" secures the message that Robertson isn't interested in doing just another pop album. Musically, it carries a nice blend of piano, acoustic guitar, and church organ in the intro and then stays with a drum/guitar melody as the song progresses. But the music is secondary to the message presented:

Plastic smiles greet me at the door And lyin' eyes cover up the night before Make sure to be seen 'til it's time to go I'll be back next Sunday for one more show... And everyone's healthy and wealthy and wise And sinners aren't welcome unless they're coming to tithe... We're hiding our worst in our Sunday best... 'Cause we're playin' church again

As I stated at the beginning of this review, this is a wonderful sophomore effort for David Robertson. While the changes from Soul Embrace are few, they made a huge difference in the outcome. His vocals carry more conviction and soul, the lyrics are thought-provoking and stirring, the production seamless, and his message clear. I think this is a wonderful collection of pop/inspirational songs that deserve a listen.