Rain and Other Things from Wonder in Blue, the brainchild of producer Brian Hardin, is awash in lush, pop symphonies of dreams and despair. Addressing both his desperate need for God's love and his struggles to forgive those who have betrayed him, Hardin has set his home movies to a soundtrack that recalls the willowy pop of Enya, PM Dawn or Deep Forest. The epicenter of the record seems to be "Do You Really Want to Know Love?" which adds a Rhythm Saints groove to the proceedings, as the narrator recounts the tales of two people who have lost love; the first person goes crazy from loneliness, the second simply picks up her life and goes on. "You'd think we'd find a way; we have the technology," Hardin wryly observes, concluding, "Maybe only in God's love can we love completely." Wrapping up with a note of hope--Hardin dedicates a sweet song of faithfulness to his two young sons--gives Rain and Other Things just the right balance. Wonder in Blue is a remarkable project that will have meaning for anyone who's ever had a broken heart.
