Hidden behind the colorful covers of Under Green Canopies is a delightful acoustic/folk/sometimes jazzy journey that will captivate the listener. With deceptively simple melodies, sparse and lush instrumentation, and unique vocal stylings, Under Green Canopies delivers solid songs that would captivate coffeehouse crowds across the fruited plain. While listening to the CD I find myself wanting to kick back and relax while reading a favorite poetry book. Slaten's vocals richly highlight the music, reminding me of some of my favorite Simon and Garfunkel moments (to my ears he sounds more like Art Garfunkel by the way, with just a WEE little bit of Neil Young thrown in, and a pinch of John-Michael Talbot for good measure).
Lyrically the CD touches on life, love, and faith in literate and non-clichéd terms. I like the whimsical, poignant poetry of "In the Dark:"
I want a woman with searching eyes
Who doesn't always succeed
But always tries
I want her hair to shine
And I want someone to be mine
I want an album with a title that fits
A few misses and a lot of hits
With melodies that last for all time
As with other Music for Missions releases, the nice thing about purchasing Under Green Canopies CD is you get great music while helping a great cause. Two-thirds of the proceeds of the CD go to Tsunami Relief administered by Gospel for Asia.
