Everything Is Everywhere -- A Review
EVERYTHING IS EVERYWHERE. By Carrie Newcomer with
Amaan Ali Khan, Amjad Ali Khan, and Ayaan Ali Khan. Available Light Records, 2011.
I must
preface this by saying, once again, that I’m not a music critic. I know what I like, and what I don’t
like. For me the tune/melody is the
key. Whatever message or meaning the
lyrics might carry is secondary. If I like
the tune, I’ll pay attention to the lyrics (assuming that there are
lyrics). Part of the reason why this
might be true is that I’m not especially drawn to poetry, and song lyrics are
essentially poetry. All of this being
true, I can say that I truly enjoy the music of Carrie Newcomer.
This is the third album of Carrie
Newcomers that has been provided to me, and as with the previous two I have
found it inviting and enjoyable to listen to.
As I noted in my first review of an album by her, her voice and style
remind me of Karla Bonhoff, a singer/songwriter that I’ve enjoyed since my
college years.
Pulled in by the music I am able to
attend to the words that speak of God’s presence in the world and call for the
listener to be attentive to that presence.
It’s not an overpowering message, such that one often finds in Christian
music. In fact, this particular album, Everything is Everywhere, has a broad,
interfaith appeal. Newcomer is Quaker,
and thus her own theology is expressive of her embrace of the Quaker concept of
the inner light of God. She’s also
attentive to the Quaker embrace of the call to peace and peacemaking.
What
sets this album apart from the two albums that I’ve previously reviewed is her
collaboration on the album with a well-known and highly regarded Indian family
of sarod players – Amjad Ali
Khan, Amaan Ali Khan, and Ayaan Ali Khan.
The sarod is a string instrument that is used in Indian Classical music,
and thus this album produces a rather distinctive sound. But, once one is acclimated to this unique sound, at least to western ears, one will
be able to enjoy this bridge between Newcomer’s folk music style and the Indian
classical music of the Khan family, thus bridging East and West. The two styles ultimately complement each
other.
Perhaps
what one can take from this collaboration is the possibilities inherent in
sharing together our musical traditions to build bridges across ethnic and
religious lines. Newcomer’s music is
deeply spiritual, but at least in this album it takes broad forms. It invites one to enjoy the world we live in,
as is expressed in the song “I Believe.”
In this song one won’t find doctrinal definitions, but rather that there
is holiness out there – in ginger tea and in those who choose to teach in
public school.
I believe in a good strong cup of
ginger tea,
And all these shoots and roots will
become a tree,
All I know is I can’t help but see
All of this as so very holy,
I Believe.
I can give my own recommendation
and perception as to the value of the album -- I like it a lot -- but the best way to decide whether or not to try it is to go to
the source and take
a listen. If you choose to buy a
copy of the album, you may want to know that the profits go to the Interfaith
Hunger Initiative, “ an all-volunteer
not-for-profit organization bringing together two dozen faith communities in
the Indianapolis area who work together to end child and family hunger. IHI
work to create a system of access to food through pantries in central Indiana
and schools in foreign countries, feeding and supporting thousands of children
and families.”
Good music for a good cause!
Comments
By the way, I meant to mention what a nice solo you did Sunday.
I think it was
"I Ponder as I Wonder"?
Thank you! I'll have to ponder changing the lyrics for next time!!