Much like the picture on the cover of Befriended, The Innocence Mission's new album is akin to someone you love whispering sweetly in your ear. The music is so soft and so beautiful that sometimes it almost seems like a whisper. It reminds me of the story in the Bible when God appeared to Elisha, not in the might wind or the earthquake or the fire, but in a gentle whisper. It is in a moment of solitude that our hearts can be stirred the most.
The Innocence Mission has been around for 15 years and somehow after all of that time they managed to save their best album for now. The opening track "Tomorrow on the Runway" introduces the soft, beautiful voice of Karen Peris as she sings, "Oh be the music in my head, the air around my bed, oh be my rest / Replace the small disgraces of the times and places that I never really left."
The careful, subtle instrumentation by Don Peris is the perfect complement to Karen's voice. Throughout the album acoustic guitar, piano, and a softly strummed electric guitar provide the perfect backdrop.
This is an album strongly grounded in the harsh realities of the world, but at the same time it reaches out a hand and offers some hope. Perhaps the best example of this lyrical approach is the song "One for Sorrow, Two for Joy": "Today's a winter Sunday, we wear our heavy coats / The soul of my brother is pure though he doesn't think so / One for sorrow, one for sorrow, two for joy."
Befriended is an album that only grows stronger the more it is listened to. It is a soothing, thoughtful soundtrack for those who find the greatest amount of grace in the most worldly of conditions.
4.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2003Reviewed by Jeffrey OverstreetBefriended is the latest in the Innocence Mission's series of albums that dwell in a holy sort of hush, focusing on fragile matters of the heart, spiritual longing, and intimate memories. That does not mean they have become predictable. Don and Karen Peris offer a clearly-defined style, yes, but within those parameters, you will never encounter the same display of light and beauty twice. They…The Phantom Tollbooth 2003Reviewed by Andrew West GriffinBefriended, the latest album from Lancaster, Pa.'s Innocence Mission, reminds the listener that beauty and sadness can combine to result in gorgeous brilliance. Lead singer and primary songwriter Karen Peris sings her atmospheric songs as if she is floating in a dream. It's an ethereal sound that is accompanied by the atmospheric guitar stylings of husband Don Peris and the subtle acoustic and…The Phantom Tollbooth 2003Reviewed by Jeff Elbel"Oh be the music in my head, the air around my bed, oh be my rest, replace the small disgraces of the times and places that I never really left." This simple poetry from "Tomorrow on the Runway" speaks volumes about the quiet, understated music of Pennsylvania's Innocence Mission. Along with multi-instrumentalist husband Don Peris and bassist Mike Bitts, Karen Peris spins a net of tenderness to…Opus 2003Reviewed by Chris BrownThank God. After years of having a major label try to groom them to be a pop act and then bouncing from one small imprint to the next after their major label home went under, Pennsylvania's Innocence Mission have finally landed with a company that understands what they're all about. If there has ever been a better band/label match than The Innocence Mission and Badman, I don't know what it is.…Similar sounding releases
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