Geography of Light by Carrie Newcomer -- A Review




Originally published at Faithfully Liberal.

I’m accustomed to being sent books to review. But the other day, I received a CD in the mail to review. That is a first for me. Books are easier, because music has a unique power to it, and each person responds differently.

The CD that came to me is Carrie Newcomer’s The Geography of Light (2008 Rounder Records). So my thanks to DeChant-Hughes , Carrie’s publicist, for sharing this CD with me.
I love music, but describing music in words is a bit difficult. You have to hear it, and to hear it, you must experience it.

I’ve played the CD multiple times since it’s arrived, and it continues to grow on me. Carrie has a deep, melodic voice. It’s acoustic and a bit folk, blue-grass, country, and more. Trying to place her style and voice is difficult – but Karla Bonhoff comes to mind. There is an earthiness to it that connects you to the “ground of being.” Carrie’s new album is rooted in her Progressive Christian faith, and it’s a wonderful expression of that faith.

She is a Quaker, influenced by Parker Palmer, Philip Gulley, Jim Wallis, among others. The message isn’t always overt, but it’s instead there to be discovered. There is a strong concern for community and for justice in these songs. And, instead of certainty, she embraces mystery (as seen in the song lyrics below).


I believe that if you listen, you will be inspired and encouraged. Her work is new to me, but I believe I’m hooked.


Here are the lyrics from one of the songs:




Leaves Don’t Drop, They Just Let Go
“I wrote this song with my friend Michael Mains. All of life is letting go.”

The truth I knew when I was eight.


My dad swam the length of Spirit Lake.
It must have been a million miles.
This I knew was true.
My mother sang while hangin’ clothes.
Her notes weren’t perfect heaven knows.
But heaven opened anyway.
And this I knew was true.

Chorus: Leaves don’t drop they just let go,
And make a place for seeds to grow.
Every season brings a change,
A seed is what a tree contains,
To die and live is life’s refrain.

I left her with some groceries,
Said, “Check the oil and call me please.”
She said ” Hey, ma I’ll be just fine.”
This I knew was true.

Chorus:

I’ve traveled through my history,
From certainty to mystery.
God speaks in rhyme in paradox.
This I know is true.

And finally when life is through,
I’m what I am not what I do.
It comes down to you and your next breath,
And this I know is true.

By Carrie Newcomer©
Carrie Newcomer Music,BMI
Bug Publishing & Michael Mains BMI

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