John Stanek

Item: Hope
Author: Darryl A. Armstrong

Hope

(2003)

Reviewed by Darryl A. Armstrong

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Label independentThe Phantom Tollbooth2003

acoustic rock ccm folk rock

In the media rich society we live in it's nice to be able to sit back and listen to independent music once in awhile. This is music we don't know by heart. It is music that isn't produced to be a sound byte to the latest popular flashy image. Occasionally, it is even good.

John Stanek has put together a collection of ten songs entitled simply Hope. This album is one of the best independent recordings I've heard in a long time. While this album certainly won't win any awards and will probably go unnoticed by the masses, it is a moving piece of work.

Aptly titled, if I had to summarize the album with one word it would be "hope." Themes of the fallen nature of man and redemption through Christ are clear and present across all ten tracks. Reminiscent of Chris Taylor, Stanek has written passionate lyrics and has crafted some excellent music to accompany them.

I could complain about the vocals, which could use some work, but we forgive Bob Dylan for not having the best voice in the music business. While Stanek is certainly not Dylan, he has made a very good album that has more heart and soul than most mainstream recordings. Let's hope we get to hear more in the future.

4 tocks