Jonathan
Shadowdance
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
The voice and songs behind Novella is back with a decidedly less rocking album. This singer's undeniable talent is evident here, evoking the images and emotions of his poetry better than most vocalists.
The title track, Shadowdance, is an invitation for Jesus to come shadowdance with the singer. Gone are some of the clouded references to Christ of past Novella releases (which were brilliant and beautiful), and present are simple and no less passionate overt references to Jesus Christ. "The name of Jesus was just a name to me/I spoke it only when I was angry/I said, 'it's not for me'/but the hardest heart/can melt like heated ice." ("Never Walk That Way Again")
A brief description of this high quality album for those who heard the two Novella albums: Take the rockin' numbers from Novella and you have the beautiful ballad-esque tunes of Jonathan Pagano.