Wilcox & Pardoe

Item: ...Till They Know How Much You Care
Author: Vanessa Crooks

...Till They Know How Much You Care

Reviewed by Vanessa Crooks

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Label Light RecordsThe LighthouseJanuary 1996

ccm country pop rock

The combined vocal textures of Vince Wilcox and Don Pardoe, along with their complementary guitar and keyboard talents, give their premier release as a duo, ...Till They Know How Much You Care, a catchy and harmonic base. Wilcox & Pardoe's mission statement declares that the two desire to gain the broadest possible platform for calling their audiences "to faithfulness to Christ, their families, and their world," and they have chosen the "positive country"/"family value" category to accomplish this.

Produced by Rob Frazier, who himself has a long history in the Christian music, ...Till They Know How Much You Care-although chock-full of guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and pedal steel accompaniment-has a decidedly pop-inspired base. Musically, this project uses every hook in the book and then some, so rather than simply calling it "country," it is better to classify it under that blend-influenced label, "new country." Technically, the musicianship is excellent-noted studio guitarist Tom Hemby along with keyboard wizard Phil Madeira lay-down a seamless groove; while Jonathan Yudkin (Kathy Mattea's fiddle and mandolin player) and Dan Dugmore (pedal steel player with both James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt) add their sweet touches throughout. Surely ...Till They Know How Much You Care is not lacking in talented players, hence it is unfortunate that the majority of the melody lines are insipid and over-used.

Thankfully, this project is much more substantive thematically than it is sonically. Wilcox and Pardoe often employ a story format in their songs, which works well illustrating their points. The project delves into some of the tougher issues of life. The things that are worth putting our lives on the line for is revealed in "Let It Burn." The importance of keeping marriage covenants is shown through "In Their Children's Eyes." And, the value of eternal life is demonstrated in "What A Treasure." Certainly ambitious in their lyrical undertakings, Wilcox and Pardoe know how to weave vignettes that pull their listeners in and give poignant testimony to Biblical principles and truths.

The title track is a driving, mid-tempo tune that tells about a preacher who learns the importance of putting actions behind the sentiments in his sermons [in a similar vein as Steve Camp's "Don't Tell Them Jesus Loves Them (Until You're Ready to Love Them, Too)"]. My favorite song on the album is unquestionably "I Think About You," which gives the most convincing curb I have heard for casual lust and the objectification of people that is so prevalent in today's society-"I think about you, eight years old... and I can't help but see that every woman used to be somebody's little girl..."

As Wilcox relates in the duo's biography, "Some of our songs may be more explicitly evangelistic than others, but all of them are implicitly Christian." Moving and well-crafted story-line lyrics matched with flat and imitative melodies make ...Till They Know How Much You Care a pleasing, yet not inspiring project. However, if you're in the market for light, familiar, new country-styled music mixed with edifying and thought-provoking messages, Wilcox and Pardoe's effort is a good choice.