It seems very appropriate that Carolyn Arends opened for Steven Curtis Chapman on his recently-completed Signs Of Life Tour. Chapman went out on a limb and underwent a musical re-invention many years into a successful career with a firmly established sound. Perched on another limb of the musical risk tree, we find Arends, undergoing a change early in her career. After a well-received debut in the singer/songwriter mold (I Can Hear You), Arends plugs in her guitar and turns the amp up for her sophomore project, Feel Free.
As Arends explains, between the first and second albums, "I got a band...and [we] discovered we could make a lot of noise." That's a bit of an over-generalization, but a good start. She also describes the album as "Folk meets rock head-on and nobody gets hurt." And, indeed, this album sounds like what you would expect if a folk-influenced singer/songwriter "got a band." The music is still guitar-driven, but moreso of the electric (not acoustic) variety, while the lyrics continue to be well-crafted and influenced by various literary figures (including C.S. Lewis, Frederick Buechner, and Dr. Seuss).
There's no doubt from the outset of Feel Free that something new is going on here. From the occasionally muddy guitars to the background vocals seemingly piped through a guitar's "wah" filter, "Do What You Do" sets the stage for an album dominated by rock, retro-rock, and modern rock influences, while still remaining very melodic. Lyrically, it's also a good introduction to the project, as it recognizes God's sovereignty and protection, and encourages us to live our lives fully and without fear. Many of the songs on the disc follow similar themes (from varied enough angles to avoid being redundant), exploring the need for faith, the abundance of grace, and the vastness of God's love and presence in our lives.
Like Arends' debut, this album contains many lyrical gems, including the opening lines of "There You Are" (one of the few "unplugged" songs on the album):
I was hoping You would write to me A message in the stars As if the stars themselves were not enough And I awaited Your arrival here From someplace very far As if I couldn't feel Your constant touch
Admittedly, the listener sometimes has to do a little more digging through the louder music to find the gems; but, hey, gems aren't usually just lying around, right? This change may turn off some folks who really liked the first album, but once the initial surprise is out of the way, most should find plenty to enjoy about this project.
An extra bonus-the disc is a multimedia CD. I've seen about a dozen of these discs, and this one is the best, by far. It's laid out well, easy to get around, aesthetically pleasing, and very content rich. It's a great idea to help listeners get to know Arends better, and is extremely well-executed. So what did they pack into all those ones and zeroes?
Over 11 minutes of video (biographical, background on the album, and the last two minutes of the music video for the title cut of I Can Hear You)
Lots of "family album" pictures
Quotes from books that influenced many of the songs on the album
Audio clips from I Can Hear You
Background and Arends' comments on the band members
The verdict is in on the re-invention of Carolyn Arends' music-it works. If you like folk-influenced rock with thoughtful, literate lyrics, check out Feel Free (maybe with a pillow under your jaw, in case it drops), and see if you don't agree.
Other coverage for this album
The Lighthouse June 1997Reviewed by Vanessa CrooksTo many people today, "folk" music simply means old songs played on acoustic instruments. In actuality, folk is the form of music which artists have traditionally used to talk about their lives and the lives of people around them. Thank goodness for artists like Carolyn Arends, who understands the value of that approach and pursues it with vigor. Much like contemporary Christian music, the folk…Similar sounding releases
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