Wayne Kirkpatrick

Item: The Maple Room
Author: Adam L.

The Maple Room

(2000)

Reviewed by Adam L.

Discogs Apple Music TIDAL Amazon Music Spotify YouTube Music

Label Rocketown RecordsReAL Magazine2000

acoustic pop rock singer-songwriter

When I was given this CD to review, I thought, "Wayne Kirkpatrick… hmm... that name sounds familiar." I continued to ask my friends, and they had heard of him, but couldn't quite place him. Wayne Kirkpatrick is a familiar name to anyone who takes the time to read the liner notes. He's been in the industry 15 years now, as producer and writer for many famous artists, both Christian and secular, including Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Kim Hill, and he won a Grammy for "Change Your World"--that's right, the Eric Clapton song. He's had so much success with songs for other people that he's constantly been asked about putting out his own album. The Maple Room is just that.

Most of these songs were too personal to have anyone else perform them, and it really shows once you get into the album. From a long history of listening to his songs, I remember them as powerful, although sometimes simple. My tastes have changed quite a bit since Michael W. Smith was the most upbeat thing I listened to, but this album was still worth my time. The sound is primarily acoustic-guitar driven, although he does augment it with strings, horns, an organ or two, and a sitar on 'That's Not New Age.' The album starts out okay lyrically, and it stays at that level. There are a few clichés like "can't see the forest for the trees" in 'It's Me Again.' There is also liberal use of the word "baby" throughout the album in tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, and 11, which just shows an unvaried word choice. However, there are also points where his imagery is brilliant, such as in 'Kiss the Cheek of The Moon,' and he doesn't rely on trite pop standards, instead inserting 'crucible', 'terminal insomniac', and other words that prove his writing ability. It's this kind of paradox that frustrates me as a listener, but I'll let you form your own opinion.

Otherwise, Kirkpatrick's lyrics are fairly solid, and they keep in line with his wish for this to be an album of songs that move him, not necessarily as a 'Christian' album, but as songs from a Christian without preconceived boundaries. He says, "I cringe a little bit when someone says 'This is or isn't a Christian album." If you buy this--and I would recommend listening through the whole album at least once--take the album as he wants it, and don't form your own opinions right away.