Given this is the Syndicate, I suspect a large number of readers have already gone looking for reviews of the latest Megalite or Jane's Salvation or whatever it is kids are listening to these days. But a creative expression of faith through art is always worth lauding, and Steven Curtis Chapman has been combining gentle word pictures with music for the common man for some time now.
The Great Adventure seems to find Chapman trying to stretch outside his image as the good ol' boy of contemporary Christian music. His previous effort, For The Sake Of The Call, mused on some of the darker aspects of the callings of our faith, wrapped in a breezy, AC/New Country package. Words like "shadow" and "pain" and "narrow road" turned up all over. And look at the title track, "we will abandon it all for the sake of the call;" yes, it's romantic and adventurous, but it's still a lot to ask. And a lot to give.
From the opening notes of The Great Adventure, a bracing orchestral introduction, you begin to notice a lighter tone: instead of concentrating on what we leave behind, Chapman now focuses on the hope we have in Christ for the future. While not a complete reinvention musically, the bouncier feeling of the tracks seems to reinforce the idea. And look at the title track—"let's follow our leader into the glorious unknown/This is a life like no other, this is The Great Adventure"—the Great Commission has suddenly become City Slickers. It's not that Chapman has trivialized the Gospel, instead, he's looking with wonder through the eyes of a small child seeing the Gospel anew.
Of most interest is the spunky "Got To B Tru," where Chapman goes to great lengths to prove he's not a rapper. The rap/non-rap sports a pretty hip acoustic guitar line and guest rapper DC Talk's Toby McKeehan in top form. It's a hoot and a holler, and even goes beyond being mere novelty by hitting on a timeless message about being true to who you are. Other stretches for Chapman include the perky title track, co-penned with Geoff Moore (the same duo who wrote the equally perky "Friend Like U"), and "Still Called Today," a duet with BeBe Winans. Initially, these seem like Chapman is reaching too far out of his strength.
Tracks like "Walk With The Wise," "Maria" and "Go There With You" showcase what Chapman does best—he puts everyday faith in a strong, AC/crossover country format, built around an acoustic guitar. The other guitars work around the format stretching the form without breaking it.
And while For The Sake Of The Call seems more satisfying, The Great Adventure is still a fine sequel, giving us what we come back for, with some delightful surprises. Because, as Chapman knows, even when you try some new things—you've got 2 B tru.
3.5/5