Jesus People USA just keeps turning out the music. Seeds is their latest product. The band, formed by "accident" (read "God's Will") for a Chicago area outreach, is made up completely of full-time JPUSA community members. Talk about a lot of talent! Seeds' line-up consists of: Shelly Bock singing lead and harmony vocals and playing steel and nylon string guitar; Colleen Davick singing harmony vocals and playing flute and assorted percussion; Scott Knies singing lead and harmony vocals, playing six and twelve string acoustic guitars, electric guitar, autoharp, lap dulcimer, mandolin, sitar, and assorted percussion; Mike Troxel singing lead and harmony vocals and playing acoustic guitar; and Greg Vaught singing harmony vocals and playing electric bass, acoustic guitar, and gong. They deserve a lot of respect. For everyone who puts together their own music, there are hundreds who only dream of it and fewer still that even try. Seeds not only tries, they have put together a really interesting first project.
As you can tell by the line-up, Seeds has a very eclectic sound. It reminds me of the early seventies (as does the members' dress and the artwork of the album). Whenever I pop this in, I get flashbacks of flower children in Haight-Ashbury, Janis Joplin live, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Jefferson Airplane acoustic sets, and Keith Green music ministries. The overall sound is very retro and very cool. It is mellow, relaxing, and soothing. The vocals wash over and bring a sense of peace. The music itself varies from light acoustic a la Caedmon's Call to psychedelic. The flute, autoharp, lap dulcimer, mandolin, and sitar (all very 70ish in their use), really spice up the sound and give it a nice tang. Since the retro 70's sound is really making a big comeback, Seeds will be a welcome addition to the club.
Seeds' lyrics are all very explicitly God or Christian centered. Whether it is God's call to return to Him in "Come Back Home," His promise to return again in "Man of Peace," or our plea to Him for salvation in "Come to My Rescue," every song invites us to respond to God's call in one way or another. The closing song, "His Love Endures," sounds a lot like Caedmon's Call and is a beautiful reminder that His love does endure forever. It is very fitting as the last song.
He can take you by the hand
He can take away all pain
Though you lose the whole world
You've got your soul to gain
All along (Rising on the wings of dawn)
God has seen you (Setting on the far horizon)
All along (Lifted up to the heavens)
God is with you (His love endures forever)
"Captain of the Sea" is arguably the best song and could be straight from a Crosby, Stills, and Nash album with all the wonderful vocal harmonies. Even the lyrics are reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, and Nash:
On a still and starry evening
I was sailing along the ocean
When a storm approached my boat
Without warning, like a lion roaring
With its only purpose
To seek and devour me
Maliciously
Clawing the peacefulness
When I found myself drowning under waves of despair,
A voice like thunder whispered sweet
Oh, surrender yourself wholeheartedly
To the Great Captain of the Sea
I'll save your life, trust in me
Oh, surrender, look ahead child, don't lose faith.
These troubled waters won't seal your grave
If you just reach out
Rise and walk with Me.
The production quality is excellent and really helps preserve that 70's feel to the album. Tom Cameron did an excellent job of keeping the production simple using mostly echo and reverb to recreate the genre. He even left in one or two of those ear-bending musical gaffes that you always found on your favorite CSN or JA album.
A lot of people may find this too 70ish -- too much of a reminder of those wild days and the drug culture -- and probably won't like it. Those who are into that retro 70's sound will probably really enjoy Seeds.
3.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Josh SpencerThe music of the late 60's/early 70's happens to be my favorite period, so I'm always in favor of an outfit that draws on that time for inspiration. Seeds takes a bit of the pseudo-magical hippie folk sound and adds heavy doses of contemporary acoustic worship and Celtic leanings. The five members are full of talent, sharing the song-writing, lead and harmony vocals, and tons of instruments from…The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Linda T. StonehockerThe spirit of their Jesus Movement heritage contributes a great deal to Seeds, a group of young Jesus People USA community members who just released their first recording. A collection of modern folk ballads and worship music, the acoustic instrumentation and tight harmonies have a warm, homemade vibe. The easy give-and-take makes it obvious this band of friends has been making music together a…
