Caedmon's Call

Item: Intimate Portrait
Author: Shari Lloyd

Intimate Portrait

(1997)

Reviewed by Shari Lloyd

Discogs YouTube

Label Warner AllianceThe Phantom Tollbooth1997

acoustic rock ccm folk rock

After a quick trip through the sewers, this enhanced CD takes you on a tour of a Caedmon's Call virtual neighborhood, complete with the Houston skyline. This newest release contains five songs (two brand new ones), four of them presented with complete videos. "Hope to Carry On" has already made it to the top of the video charts and has received a 1997 Billboard Music Video Awards nomination for "Best New Artist Clip" in the Contemporary Christian category. This can be found by clicking on the guitar case (the guitar was painted by Jimmy A) which is in front of the art gallery. One can view the video, strum the guitar, or hear the band members talk about the making of the video. The art gallery includes past and present pictures of the various band members. Background material on the band can be found on the side of the art gallery building.

The other three videos are acoustic sets. Each song is introduced by a band member. One is "Piece of Glass," about a young woman's struggle with bulimia, another is "The Truth," and the last is "April Showers," which originally appeared on Just Don't Want Coffee. These first two are new songs. Clicking on the sewer cover in the road will get you to these gems.

Click on the bus sign and a Houston Metro bus pulls up. Jump aboard and you can hear the various band members discuss their struggles and insecurities, and other reflections from a Christian perspective. Click on the bus side, and there is a new banjo version of one of my favorite songs, "Bus Driver."

This enhanced CD is well done but not ground-breaking by MTV standards. It will only be available in Christian bookstores, and its $8.98 price tag makes it a great buy. Look for it!

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