Songs from the Valley
I keep forgetting to ask - or maybe I have and just haven't seen your answer? - what are your thoughts on the new Sandra McCracken album that dropped the day before Valentine's? Psalm 43's been stuck in my head (thanks for that 😝), and it inevitably drifts into Reciprocate and the rest of the new songs. My goal is to listen to it on repeat today until I form an opinion. I know how I feel, but I'm not sure if that's the same as what I think.
I don't really like it, mostly due to the weird production. That's also the main reason why I don't listen to her older body of work. I'd like some of the songs if they were different arrangements but I also haven't listened very deeply because of that.
ReplyDeleteHuh. I didn't see that particular comment coming. What do you think about her ex-husband's music?
ReplyDeleteOk, so I listened to it last night while I was out running and I have a few comments. Lyrically I think this album is great. I really enjoyed Oh Gracious Light, Kindness and Lover Of My Soul. I feel like I accidentally skipped the last two somehow because I can't remember listening to them at all. I will get back to those.
ReplyDeleteNow, I really want to love Fool's Gold. I think the message is great, "nobody needs another love song... It is not love, is not love, it is not love." But the chorus is really strange and I don't understand it. "If this is not OK, then this is not the end. And this is not OK, so I know this is not, this is not the end." I'd love to hear your thought on how it fits, because have nothing. It really sticks out to me.
Reciprocate is good, but doesn't really capture my attention.
Now on the production/instrumentation - if this was all acoustic guitar or piano, this album would be awesome. The problem I struggle with is that the songs just don't have any dynamics. Almost everything is the same volume all throughout the album and it gets old for me really quick. The instruments always feel like they are building up to a big climax, but don't go anywhere. Take Oh Gracious Light - the first chorus is a total buildup, and if the second chorus had a huge sound to it, the buildup would make sense... But it doesn't. They just repeat the buildup sound until the song ends.
I may end up doing my own arrangements of Oh Gracious Light and Lover Of My Soul. I really like those pieces.
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ReplyDeleteStill trying to settle my thoughts. As discussed, you put a lot of what I was feeling to words, but I am realizing it goes deeper for me. In most aspects of my life I'm a big picture, "close enough" person. But not when it comes to theology, especially not theology in music.
ReplyDeleteThat brings us to the question posed in the group chat: what is the balance of responsibility and integrity an artist caries for themselves versus their audience in their music? Is that different for a Christian?
I think this album is very true to how McCracken is feeling, and true to where she's at theologically. I actually really like the line about "If it's not OK, then it's not the end" because I hear that as an understanding of eternity and the restoration of all things. "It's not OK (an acknowledgement of the way thing are), so this is not the end" (it's not over yet). that And I understand this album as a whole is lament. But it somehow always manages to lose its hope - either in the lyrics or in the production.
This album is the reason I know about the divorce. I went looking for the news articles half way through the second song, not knowing anything personal about McCracken, but hearing the way she talked about the former partner in her songs.
I don't want that in my head.
Give how half-asleep I was, that turned out pretty good. I'm about to start work, so I can't finish, but I'll come back to it. Basically this is an album of half-truths, because that's where she's at on her journey, and I'm really struggling with what that means for me as a listener.
ReplyDeleteSo after a lot of thought about how to phrase this nicely, and not create interwebs drama, I couldn't, but I think it's an important conversation to have.
ReplyDeleteBasically, marriages aren't one-sided. I don't know the details of how the marriage ended, but these songs imply that Webb's love wasn't true. Was never true. That he was incapable of loving her, and that the relationship was one-sided.
Relationships can be one-sided. We all know that. But with the exception of marriages to someone who is a clinical sociopath (they do exist, and can fool almost anyone for a time) and old-school arranged marriages, both parties make a choice to enter into a marriage covenant with the other person AND all their flaws. And I have yet to encounter a marriage that didn't disappoint or betray both parties as one point or another. But I can count on one hand the number of times someone truly didn't see it coming.
These songs imply that McCracken married someone who expressed love but never meant it. That he was incapable of reciprocating her love. I doubt it. He may have been unable to love her the way she wanted, or unwilling, or she may have been unwilling to receive whatever he was able or willing to offer. But if he truly could not reciprocate her love, why did she marry him?
And now you have met another of my pet peeves. Marriage is hard enough, but when you decide that the other person is incapable of love, that's on you, not on them. We all make really dumb, hurtful choices - make no mistake - but if someone cannot reciprocate or act in love, don't marry them. If they have a past, be aware that you quite likely will deal with that at some point, and it will hurt.
I also grieve over the end of her marriage, but it's like marrying someone with an alcoholic past and breaking up because they start drinking. Don't make a promise you can't keep, and don't blame them when you knew what you were getting into. And EVERY man will fall short of the love of Christ... so definitely turn to that, but once again - duh. If that's the only acceptable standard, don't get married.
Too many personal friends dealing with this right now. Rant over.
The rest of the songs feel really self-pitying, and I'm not a huge fan. It's where she's at. It's not an unreasonable season. But she'll move on and the music won't and if I'm listening to the music I'll get stuck there too.
That said, I bought Lover of My Soul, so I do like some of them a little I guess. :)