Well, every once in a while I stumble upon something that really strikes me as interesting, something that isn't like anything else in the Christian music market. Walkin' the Beat is such a project.
I had no idea what to expect at first--until I listened to the first track. "Swing, oh great"--I remember thinking. But, I gave it a shot and listened to the whole project. For not being much of a fan of jazz or swing, I was drawn to this project quite a bit.
The first track left me assuming that this would also be a mostly instrumental album. I was wrong again (do I get some kind of benefit from airing my mistakes like this?)--much to my appreciation. Most of the lyrics aren't the deepest I've seen, I think their simplicity was something else that drew me in. Songs like "Jericho," "Hurry," and "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" are just a few of the tracks that are simple lyrical expressions, which are repeated enough to be interesting without wearing them out. Only on a swing album could one appreciate the line "Joshua fit the battle of Jericho," repeated over and over.
There is a healthy mix of instrumentation and stylistic variation on Walkin' the Beat, centering around the swing beat. Listening made me feel like I was in a club of yesteryear enjoying some live music. And that's another positive here--the album sounds live. The only real musical departure is a black gospel tune at the end of the project.
Another thing I appreciate about this project is that it works well as background music, or as the focus of my thoughts--drawing spiritual truths from the simply worded tunes.
This is definitely a project that I am glad made it into my CD collection.
