The music of the late 60's/early 70's happens to be my favorite period, so I'm always in favor of an outfit that draws on that time for inspiration. Seeds takes a bit of the pseudo-magical hippie folk sound and adds heavy doses of contemporary acoustic worship and Celtic leanings. The five members are full of talent, sharing the song-writing, lead and harmony vocals, and tons of instruments from steel and nylon, six and twelve-string, acoustic and electric guitars to flute, autoharp, lap dulcimer, mandolin, sitar, gong, and assorted percussion. If that sounds cluttered, be assured it's not. Several of the songs have a real celebratory, family atmosphere, with clapping and cheering in the background. A dozen more musicians spice up the songs with even more instrumentation, from harmonica to strings to didgeridoo (members of The Crossing included). Production is sparkling clean and pristine, so that each instrument and voice shines in the mix. Male and female vocals alternate singing lyrics full of poetic awe and longing for the Master. Most of the songs are not really that memorable, but "The Road" stands a head above the others and is far and away my favorite tune, with its sad tone describing the picking up of spiritually lost hitchhiker kids. It could have been lifted from The Crossing's Dancing at the Crossroads. There's a whole lot of room for improvement from these guys, and I still prefer original 60's/70's folkie stuff (and even similar Christian act Rich Young Ruler) to this, but this album is good background music for a warm and lazy Saturday afternoon while reading a book or just sitting on the porch surveying God's creation.
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Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Mark J. AylorJesus People USA just keeps turning out the music. Seeds is their latest product. The band, formed by "accident" (read "God's Will") for a Chicago area outreach, is made up completely of full-time JPUSA community members. Talk about a lot of talent! Seeds' line-up consists of: Shelly Bock singing lead and harmony vocals and playing steel and nylon string guitar; Colleen Davick singing harmony…The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Linda T. StonehockerThe spirit of their Jesus Movement heritage contributes a great deal to Seeds, a group of young Jesus People USA community members who just released their first recording. A collection of modern folk ballads and worship music, the acoustic instrumentation and tight harmonies have a warm, homemade vibe. The easy give-and-take makes it obvious this band of friends has been making music together a…
