Music Review: God and a Girl

A few months ago, I was asked to review a CD. Doing a music review is something new for me; so I gladly accepted. The album is called “God and a Girl” and the artist is Joy Whitlock.  She is a serious believer who brings considerable forethought into each of the fourteen songs that make up this album.

Throughout the album, Whitlock engages in an eclectic array of musical styles.  In an interview, she was asked about her style and replied, “I would describe my style as a wide variety. ” At times she dabbles in acoustic sounds similar to Nickel Creek and at others, she sounds more like Evanescence.  These sorts of changes can become a distraction for the listener primarily because one doesn’t get a sense of progress throughout the album, but one of experimentation.  As Joy continues to produce, we’ll expect a slightly more homogeneous album.  But any time you pack 14 songs onto a CD, you’d have to expect a bit more variation.

Whitlock has quite a bit of lyrical ability. Nearly all her songs seem to emphasize the struggle between flesh and faith.  But she is not mired in self-pity and remorse.  One of my concerns about Christian artists who complain about their sin a lot is that they need to focus equally on God’s grace; Joy certainly does that too.

“Don’t Look Down” is a good example of Whitlock’s best strength: deeply personal lyrics that are universal enough to be meaningful for unbeliever and, when seen through the Biblical verse she gives as its inspiration, Hebrews 12:1-3, it becomes even more understandable and meaningful for the believer:

“Tragedy is half the fight
Are you willing to lose your life
Come on let it bleed
There’s nothing you can hide from me.”

These lyrics are related to the passage:

“For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin” (Heb 12:3-4).

As you can tell, the lyrics are much less concrete than the passage upon which they are based; but ever since Jars of Clay, many Christian artists have been highly successful with this multi-layered approach to song-writing.  Show everyone something that can make them think; and give Christians something they can really chew on for a while.

At times, it’s quite clear how much she’s been influenced by Jennifer Knapp.  In many ways, this album is an homage to Knapp: she speaks freely about her struggles, engages Scripture in her lyrics, and stays musically grounded in folksy acoustic guitar rhythmic patterns.  Whitlock has said she wants to play with Knapp one day, even.

As a fan of Knapp, I’m glad another artist has such a high view of her; but I hope Whitlock will continue to branch out in her influences: the eclecticism of this album shows she is still finding herself musically. As strong as this album is with 14 tracks, I believe a more closely refined and tightly linked 9-10 tracks could have packed even more punch.  Right now her musical identity needs to catch up with her lyrical intensity. The more exposure she has to the roots of rock, the more  she will distinguish herself as an original. Her next album will undoubtedly demonstrate a heightened sense of herself, her relationship with God, and her musical prowess.

“Holding on to Me” and “Beautiful” are my favorites.  “Holding,” is especially compelling because her guest bass/drummer combo, Tony Lucido and Ben Phillips, heighten the rhythmic intensity beyond the rest of the songs.  “Beautiful” is one of those songs that can get you tapping your foot, bobbing your head, and trying to learn the lyrics more quickly so you can sing along with it in your car.  Yes, it is sugary sweet…but in such a serious album, this a welcome departure from the norm.

I am encouraged Whitlock has entered the CCM scene.  She is a breath of fresh air for those of us who love to hear thought-provoking, spiritual songs of worship.

I’ll leave you with a great excerpt from one of her blogs.  This kind of truth mixed with sincere devotion is what makes her a Christian musician worth paying attention to:

Christians are being fed a false hope. A hope that says Christ came to make life easier, to fulfill all our dreams, to give us a good life here on earth. A hope that says if we just turn our lives over to Christ, He will give us our best life now. But upon reading the Bible, one quickly discovers that misleading hope is found nowhere amongst the pages of Scripture. In fact, speaking of “this life now”, look at what 1 Cor. 15:19 says, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men”. Would you like to know what God says our hope is? This verse says it so clearly. There can be absolutely no dispute! Check it out…Titus 2:11-14. “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed HOPE-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.”

I’d love it if in her next album, she takes this “God exists to fulfill all your dreams” deception to task.

We shall see.

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Jennifer Knapp isn’t in Kansas anymore

Who doesn’t miss Jennifer Knapp?

I imagine the people who said she was just Alanis Morissette with Christian lyrics would even admit they would like another album soon. These days, her fans still praise (and buy) her remastered re-releases, they keep all her ancient chat-boards alive, and some even begin construction of new fan websites (which they never finish).

Wouldn’t any other musician take advantage of that opportunity in order to continue to produce more of his or her art?

Well I’ve never been much for the baring of soul in the presence of any man…

Knapp’s last album was released in November 2001. Think about that. Studio production (especially on really expensive albums like The Way I Am) takes a long time. Even after the artist has finished recording, production can often take months. So the last time Jennifer Knapp actually sat in a recording studio was probably while the Twin Towers were standing in New York. Is the world different now? Is the Christian world different now?

Knapp was a prolific song-writer who accomplished everything a Christian musician ever wants to, but in a much shorter period of time. Do not, for one second, wonder whether she was phased out by an industry that no longer sought her artistry. In her last studio album “The Way I Am”, Knapp is not only backed by rock musicians with a level of talent uncommon for any Christian artist to have the pleasure of collaboration with, the London Symphony Orchestra also accompanies many of her songs. Gotee records undoubtedly knew that even Knapp’s worst music would be worth a greater investment than the average Christian musician. Subsequent to her exit from the industry, Gotee is still squeezing all the juice from every session and live recording they can legally reproduce.

…Squeezing slowly, that is. They know a little Jennifer will go a long way. Her Kansas album just got re-released for its ten year anniversary. What other artist produces only three studio albums and lives to see them remastered? Heck, this album of hers was digital mastered in the first production! It took U2 20 years before they remastered & mass-produced Joshua Tree!

Knapp left because she wanted to.

But that doesn’t mean there would still be a market left for her if she came back.

Momma, I know I made you cry…

Is your Christian radio station different now? If it’s anything like the stations in Bellingham and Kent, Washington, chances are they are much more “family friendly”. In fact, I encourage you to google the phrase “family friendly radio”. You will see that Christian radio stations across the country have adopted this slogan in order to cater to a more secular, less specifically Christian audience. Stations have scaled back their time-allotments to preachers and teachers of the Bible since those programs (so the logic goes) will limit their audience. Instead, these slots are filled either with more music or yes, “family friendly” programs like “Focus on the Family” and “Family Life Today”.

While none of these programs are anti-Christian, they are far less confrontational than sermons when it comes to matters of belief. Furthermore, the songs played on these stations are becoming far more purely subjective than anything of Knapp’s that made airwaves. If you’re curious about this, visit Billboard’s list of “Hot Christian Songs” this week. Matthew West’s “You Are Everything“, Jeremy Camp’s “Let it Fade“, and Mercy Me’s “God With Us“. My desire isn’t to judge these people or their music. But I encourage you to read the lyrics and ask if the gospel is clear in any of them.

How much is said of sin? How much is said of the need for forgiveness?

Most importantly, how many lines of these songs qualify as avoiding Christianese in an attempt to make God’s holiness more clear? In fact, these songs are largely built on popular terms that are easily sung by sincere Christians, nominal Christians, and even non-Christians. In short, when it comes to lyrics, there are few distinctively focused on God, rather than self. When it comes to religious lyrics, there are few distinctively related to the particulars of orthodox Christianity. And when it comes to lyrics that are about Jesus, there are few that portray him in any way that would strike an unbeliever as “offensive” in the same way Paul refers to the Christ in 1 Corinthians.

So I’m not sure Jennifer Knapp’s music would be particularly “playable” even today.

You’d think we would have grown to rely on a holy, sovereign God more because of events like September 11, but we haven’t. We have bought into the lie that tells us that people are brought unto the Lord by making him a lamb for children to cuddle than a just God to sacrifice.

Sacrifice and offering You do not desire of me…

It is my belief that the Christian community at large has no right whatsoever to expect Knapp to continue to make music for it. In too many ways it has turned its back on everything that made her a special musician. Its music praises a God that is easy for anyone to praise: he loves all, he accept anyone on any terms, he requires little distinctive knowledge of himself, and he has no particular expectations of his worshipers.

But if you examine her music, you will see a marked contrast: she recognizes the futility of her own attempts to re-make him, she addresses him on his own terms (often seamlessly weaving Scripture into her praise and lament), she deeply treasures every morsel of truth about him which she has gleaned from his word, and she fully recognizes her absolute inability to independently fulfill his righteous standard, relying fully on the grace that comes through faith in him.

Jennifer Knapp may very well be found somewhere over the rainbow; but even if she hasn’t left Kansas for good, I hope she doesn’t feel any anxiety about coming back just because Auntie Em and Uncle Henry miss her.

And if anyone is thinking about my upcoming birthday, I’d love the 10th anniversary “Kansas: Gold Edition” by Jennifer Knapp!

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