I'm harsh on Christian entertainment. I have to search much harder to find something enjoyable in the Christian market than in the mainstream. And I'm not the only one who thinks that.
Music tends to be remarkably simple and same-sounding, vocals tend to be bland, and lyrics tend to make me wince and wish that the singers thought a little more often rather than focus so much on feelings.
Addison Road is a standard CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) band, in that the singer Jenny Chisolm frankly sounds like one of several artists. (Though she does at least sound like she knows how to breathe.) The song's a soft ballad, mostly piano and with what sounds to me like a bit of violin.
The piano admittedly has a touching discordant quality when the song reaches its bridge, and the song's music actually works with the song, though it sounds like it's intended as an accent rather than a focus. Perhaps Addison Road designed it intentionally to be easy to include in a church performance.
Addison Road may stick to simple background music and average vocals, but they make up for that in their lyrics. This song isn't some feel-good (or feel-bad) ditty; it's a reminder for us to think.
"What Do I Know of Holy" poignantly reminds listeners how little any of us truly comprehend God. We tend to have such puffed-up opinions of ourselves. How often do we "try to hear from Heaven," while "talk[ing] the whole time"? Do we give God the honor that is His due?
If we truly consider God's vastness and holiness, we should have a sense of fear, of reverence. "Fear God, and keep His commands" (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Solomon wasn't deemed the wisest man who ever lived on a whim.
The lyrics are what make this song fantastic.
If you're anything like me in liking Christian music to have some good thoughtful theology behind it, you should enjoy this song. I make certain to listen to it, every so often; sometimes I even sing it. Because I need the reminder.
"What do I know of holy?"
Lyrics: 5/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 9/10
I actually quite like this song. I’m a bit surprised that I never heard it before (my mom’s car radio blares CCM 24/7), but I looked it up right after I saw your review. The simplicity of this song is endearing and poignant. It really helps you focus on the meaning.
ReplyDeleteI’m glad to see this new review! I could have sworn that I signed up to get e-mail alerts about new posts, but I haven’t seen anything so far. It’s a good thing I came here to check again. I will definitely check out the other reviews that I missed.
I'm glad I could be of help. ^_^ And thanks for subscribing!
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