For those willing to
slow down, God’s Highway offers substantial substance and is
deeply reflective.
God’s Highway
Artist: Sandra
McCracken (www.sandramccraken.com)
Label: Towhee
Records
Length: 11 tracks/45
minutes
If you have a record
player and can afford to pay a little more, consider getting God’s
Highway by Sandra McCracken on vinyl. If you accept the idea that
records sound better, you might feel justified once the needle drops.
Why even my digital download sounds vibrant! How much more the
grooves on a 12 inch? Plus, you will be helping to support an artist
that has a heart for psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
The supposed warmth
of vinyl is a complement to the organic tones found here. No
synthesizers and programming. This sounds like a group of musicians
playing live in the studio on guitars, bass, piano and drums.
Electric guitar adds texture. Drums are on the soft side.
The roots oriented
style is a vehicle for themes like waiting and hope, in conjunction
with the attributes of God. These are modern day gospel songs for
pilgrims on God’s highway.
Allusions to and
adaptations of Scripture abound; there is no wooden literalness.
McCracken knows how to translate Bible truths into song. Each one
remains saturated in a biblical worldview. Four of them even have a
Scripture reference in the title.
This is a
songwriter’s praise and worship. It is rich in poetic imagery and
deep thought. With the music being either slow or mid-tempo, and with
plenty of space to hear each instrument, this can become a meditative
experience. It reminded me of Fernando Ortega’s The Breaking of
the Dawn.
In its simplest form
as on “Trinity Song,” featuring All Sons and Daughters, I’m
captivated by the delicate beauty. This has singing in rounds. There
is wonderful restraint in this release in every phase, as heard in
the number of instruments, background vocals, the choice of words,
etc.
I like how “Come
Light our Hearts” and “Be Still my Soul” (an original song)
touch on being quiet before God. This whole record can be aid toward
that end.
The closing “Song
for Rachel” is just McCracken with piano backing. I appreciate the
thought in the chorus:
Until the trumpet sounds,
Until our home comes down,
Children of Zion raise up the sound
Until our home comes down
People imagine going
up to heaven. How often do we think of the New Jerusalem coming down?
It’s a biblical picture (Revelation 21:10).
McCracken breaks
into beautiful falsetto on the closing refrain:
Your deliverance is coming
For us while we wait,
In the wilderness You walk before us,
Give us grace
What a fitting
benediction! This is someone to follow as we travel this way.
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