Greg and Rebecca Sparks, unplugged! Well, almost. Produced by Craig Krampf (Ashley Cleveland, Melissa Etheridge), Field of Your Soul takes full advantage of Greg's acoustic guitar work and Rebecca's strong vocals, creating a predominantly acoustic-based rock album focussing on practical Christian living.
"Mercy Me" is a modern reminder of Jesus' call to "do unto the least of these..." The title track takes an artistic look at the peace given by God. Probably the most heartfelt track is "Fractured Pieces," written for a friend who died of AIDS, with the chorus sung from his perspective: "I don't have much to give/All I have is fractured pieces/I'd give you anything/What I have is my love for you." A tongue-in-cheek "Do You Want What I Got" was inspired when Rebecca read an interview with Madonna, and how she is obviously in need of that which we, as Christians possess.
My favorite song was "Love Can Change the World," where Greg takes the lead vocals in a nice rock ballad, talking very simply how God's love can change the world and grant true freedom. They focus on a speech by Dr. Martin Luther Jr. (and even include a section of the speech) in "Carve a Tunnel." They compare Luther's discussion of slavery to the bondage we can feel to human pain and struggle. "Homeland" tells of the pain of Greg's family, dealing with his father's struggle with Alzheimer's disease: "I want to carry you home, but I can't get you there/The father smiles, 'Son, don't pity me, weakness is not wrong/Through my suffering my soul is healed, its vision has grown strong'/I see our homeland/In our homeland we will find rest."
While the album moves at a reasonably uptempo pace, it is not without some reflective moments. Several tracks begin as softer songs, but Rebecca quickly works herself up into a vocal frenzy-energetic and aggressive.
For some reason, whenever I hear the Sparks, I am always reminded of Julie and Buddy Miller. Sparks create, for me, a similar emotional intimacy, but are a little bit more rock and full-tilt with the vocals.
I'd say that if you like some of the energetic unplugged music that's coming out these days, and don't mind it being mixed with a few electric guitar and synthesizer parts, this is one you might want to give a chance.
