Derek Webb

Item: She Must and Shall Go Free
Author: Andree Farias

She Must and Shall Go Free

(2003)

Reviewed by Andree Farias

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Label INO RecordsThe Rebel Base2003

americana folk rock singer-songwriter

"And you cannot care for Me, with no regard for her; / If you love Me, you will love the church."

She Must and Shall Go Free is a testament to the church. But not the church with the pretty lights and the flashy worship services. Not the one whose notoriety is measured by its colorful TV personalities or deep-seated involvement in politics. Not even the one that's renowned for its hearty amen's or its apostolic simplicity. She Must and Shall Go Free is simply a testament to us, the real church- the true ecclesia of old-, the Bride of Christ.

It's for her sake that Derek Webb, a young, prolific poet once known for his candid musings on love and relationships with the band Caedmon's Call, has shifted his lyrical paradigm to focus on the many things that afflict her- namely, her promiscuous ways and her propensity to be seduced by other lovers-, and the one thing that will set her free: the Gospel. In this context, Webb has crafted an album that reads like an exchange of conversations and open love letters between two lovers, straightforward enough to be digested casually (Nobody loves me, but you- from "Nobody Loves Me"), but with sufficient passion to be perused and reread with the ardor of a young betrothed reading her long-absent beau's correspondence (Don't let anyone tell you that there's anything that you need, but me- from "Beloved").

On the musical front, She Must is a diverse palette of styles that runs the gamut from the standard folk/pop fare he embraced during his tenure in Caedmon's Call ("Awake My Soul") to a tasty, roots-inspired brand of Americana/folk ("Saint and Sinner"), some traces of country-tinged blues ("Nothing (Without You)") and even shadings of bluegrass (the fun and oh-so-true "Crooked Deep Down") that, if it weren't for their sonic sheen, would have felt right at home on the illustrious O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. And that's something to be proud of.

This celebration of sound doesn't mean there's no room for slower moments. In fact, the centerpiece of this record, the delicate "Wedding Dress," is an acoustic and unpretentious ballad that, with its sparse production and simple terminology, embodies the spirit of this project and reveals that Derek's intent, more than wagging his finger at the sins of the church, is to see her regain her radiance and glory, for her to "run down the aisle" to her heavenly Groom, in the same way we run to Him after we've whored lesser lovers and we realize our fidelity ought to be only His.

Here's hoping you will need this record. Granted, many people won't. They simply won't want to hear it. It's invariably difficult to gulp down truth in heavy doses, especially when it's presented in such an unappealing container. Yet it still remains as the only thing that will set us free.