Young women leading
the way
Overflow
Artist: Hannah Kerr
(www.hannahkerrmusic.com)
Label: Black River
Christian
Length: 11 tracks/43
minutes
Hannah Kerr and
Lauren Daigle have something in common. They each give voice to a
maturity and wisdom beyond their years.
They sing to God in
a musical language of today—pop/rock
with underlying hip/hop rhythms. I also hear some Euro rock
influences on Kerr’s Overflow.
In between driving
guitars subtle accents from over the pond shape the tapestry of
sound. These small sonic details are among my favorite moments.
Kerr
has a hand in the songwriting, which teams her with some of the best:
Scott Krippayne, Matt Maher, Joel Houston and Meredith Andrews, to
name a few.
Similarly,
many of the musicians are seasoned pros; Stu G one of the prominent
ones. Is that shades of Delirious I’m hearing?
Mark
A. Miller does an admirable job of blending organic and programmed
styles. I wonder though why the peak levels seem high, saturating the
sound. Was this intentional to give it more of a raw and rugged feel?
Or is it just my imagination and/or a limitation of my sound system?
“Warrior”
is a metaphor for life as a battle, and
serves as a terrific opening song.
Staring down the face of fear Gotta keep breathingWhen the negative is all you hear Gotta keep believing
I
easily identify with the thought that we live in a time of fear and
negativity that seems to be getting worse. It’s a challenge but
essential to stay in an attitude of faith, as suggested in the song.
Kerr
did not have a hand in the songwriting, but she sings the chorus with
forceful conviction:
You’ll never stop me, I’m a warrior When I fall down, I get stronger Faith is my shield, Your love is the armor
Pummeling
guitars and strong vocals
make this powerful song her own.
“Never
Leave Your Side” is a
plea set in the context of a ballad. The chorus is sung from God’s
perspective. In addition
to the comforting sentiments, what
makes this standout is the beautiful wash of keyboards and gentle
guitars.
Kerr
co-wrote “Your Love Defends Me” with Matt Maher. His imprint is
recognizable in the structure and lyrics. It builds to a crescendo at
the end with a gospel chorus.
The
closing, “Be Still and Know,” features Mark Hall of Casting
Crowns. It’s more subdued than the other tracks, being primarily
piano and string-driven, but it’s a highlight. The opening lines
set the stage for the encouragement contained in the title:
When your heart is anything but quiet And peace feels a million miles away When the world is heavy on your shoulders And you don’t know the path that you should take
Debuts
like this and How Can
it Be by
Lauren Daigle add depth to the modern worship genre. This kind of
praise and adoration appeals to me more than some of the simplistic
forms that emerged at the
beginning of this movement.
I don’t mean to
discount their value at the time or even now. I just appreciate the
growth and maturity in music made by Christian artists, in all
categories including modern worship.
We
can be grateful to live in such a time as this when artists have a
vision for continued innovation and service to others. Young
women like Kerr and Daigle are among
those leading the way.
