Review by Rhett Butler

Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Reviews | Send mail to The Voice Singer scrutinizes the church in his new solo album Derek Webb' s album has a bluegrass feel. -Thomas Moss, photo Derek Webb, longtime member of the Christian folk-rock band, Caedmon's Call, has released his own album titled "She Must and Shall Go Free." It focuses on the church as the Bride of Christ and, in Webb's own words, on "who she is, how she should dress, what she was made for." On the cover, Webb stands in front of a small, white country church, arms crossed as he looks off in the distance. This dramatic tableau portrays that mood of the album. Track one, "Nobody Loves Me," starts the album off in a folksy vein as an acoustic guitar, mandolin and banjo pluck along to Webb's Texan tenor voice. The title track, track two, conveys God's desire for the church: "All her debts are cast on me, and she must and shall go free." "Wedding Dress," track six, is especially stirring as Webb takes a deep and honest look at the condition of Christ's church. He sings, "I am a whore, I do confess. I put You on just like a wedding dress and I run down the aisle." The entire song is full of allusions to the passages in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Hosea that refer to Christ's bride resorting to prostitution among the gods of fornication and riches. As ugly as this sounds, Webb introduces hope as he paints the picture of forgiving, accepting husband waiting with arms open wide. "Awake My Soul" is also featured on Caedmon's Call's newest album, "Back Home," released February 2003, and comes in at track seven. A mandolin, accordion, electric guitar and a myriad of other instruments create a sense of lightness, but also romance, in a similar vein to Sixpence None the Richer's "Kiss Me." The song features the impacting lyrics: "No one is good enough to save themselves. So awake my soul tonight to boast nothing else." "Saint and Sinner", the eighth song, comes through with whimsy and a cowpoke-like Western flair, created by the use of a harmonica and what sounds like an old-fashioned jug band in the background. "Crooked Deep Down" has heavy fast-paced bluegrass overtones. However, this tenth track does not deviate from the album's gravity, as Webb expresses Christ's view of His Bride: "There was this girl, she was made for Me. She stood Me up our wedding day, and now that girl runs around on Me. And she's drunk all the time. I died to make her Mine." The final track, sung gently and lovingly, is backed up with a bevy of stringed instruments and beautiful piano work. While "The Church" again emphasizes Christ's love for His church, it expresses a challenge to those who carry His name: "You cannot care for me with no regard for Her. If you love me, you will love the church." According to www.inotof.com, Inotof Records's web site, "Derek also wants to make clear he's not pointing fingers. The last thing he wants is for people to perceive him as some guy throwing stones from the outside. Instead, he sees himself as the one "broken, weeping within the walls of the church and saying 'this is what I believe the truth is. Now how do we live in light of this?'" This album combines a variety of musical styles that may not appeal to everyone, although every song is extremely well written, performed and crafted. In every track, the music beautifully frames well-chosen words that come across through allegory and analogy and make for a powerful, cutting and moving experience. Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Reviews | Top Of Page Send mail to The Voice| Journalism department website © 2003 The Voice. No part of this publication may be reproduced in written or electronic form without prior written consent from the journalism adviser of Multnomah Bible College. All rights reserved.