Margaret Becker

Item: Soul
Author: J. Warner Soditus

Soul

(1993)

Reviewed by J. Warner Soditus

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Label Sparrow RecordsThe LighthouseJune 1993

ccm dance pop pop r&b

A shiny happy Margaret? Indeed, Soul has emerged as a project showing much more of the fun side of Margaret Becker. Left behind are the strong electric guitars and scratchy vocals of her early rock roots, her curly hair, and her open public faith analysis, making room for sequencers, drum machines, and a brand new perspective. It seems that Margaret has her spiritual "house" in order, letting her focus more on aspects of God rather than of her personal faith struggles. Commitment, faithfulness, and praise of God tie the album together creating a tightly knit group of songs optimistically marveling in God's glory.

The ballads, rather than being a painful self-examination, are, instead, love songs addressed to God ("This Flame" and the duet with Bob Carlisle, "Keeping Watch") and songs of commitment to God ("All That I Am" and "Say the Name"). The lyrical style of the ballads also seems more artistic, metaphoric, and indirect than those of the past.

Musically, this is expressed through some fully layered grooving R&B/Pop, four ballads, and even a little rap! Yes, M.C. Margaret takes the mic on "The World I See in You" to diss ungodly aspects of today's society. She also takes a step on a couple ballads to use a string section-not the same rocking Becker we used to know. Rather than the gritty Rock, we get to see a polished, heavily produced side.

Producer Charlie Peacock makes his presence known with his keyboard and drum programming as well as in the songwriting with his distinctive style of background vocals. Big name talent abounds throughout the project, with the jacket credits almost reading like a "who's who" listing for top studio musicians.

Soul is a natural progression from Simple House musically and lyrically. Becker has decided to continue to pursue the R&B/pop genre and has apparently put the house in order. It's an exciting, joyful project that flies by much too quickly.