Lenny Smith

Item: Deep Calls to Deep
Author: Doug Van Pelt

Deep Calls to Deep

(2000)

Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt

Discogs Bandcamp Apple Music

Label New Jerusalem MusicHM Magazine #90July/August 2001

acoustic folk worship

Is there a "worship trend" in Christian music? Yes and no. Yes, there are many releases coming out that are praise and worship oriented. Yes, there are many record companies making money from this particular type of album right now. Are labels and bands manufacturing praise and worship music to cash in on this heightened buying pattern? I don't think so. I think the labels are probably looking for authentic worship. I don't recall hearing very many (okay, I've heard a couple) albums that don't sound authentic, or that don't offer something that could easily be used to worship the Lord with. But, then again, I haven't been out looking for phonies, either.

Lenny Smith is the father of Daniel Smith (aka the Danielson Famile). His disc, Deep Calls To Deep, released by Sounds Familyre / New Jerusalem Music, is of the songwriter / poet variety a la Pete Seeger. Know the worship staple "Our God Reigns?" Lenny wrote it. The guitar parts and vocals sound vaguely familiar to tunes I heard as a wee lad in the late 60s (yes, I'm that old), but are grounded in biblical theology. This is bare-bones acoustic worship. One guy in front of a congregation, cutting loose.