I’ve been a pretty big fan of Andrew Peterson for awhile now, previously commenting here on his book. But it’s his day job as a singer/songwriter that originally pulled me in. The honesty in his lyrics is such a refreshing change from the run-of-the-mill bad Christianity-and-water soft rock that radio stations like K-LOVE play. It’s not just the lyrics that set him apart, though. There’s an artfulness in his music that has become rare in standard mass-produced radio-ready three-chord Christian music.
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Well, Peterson has a new album out. Resurrection Letters: Volume II is a loosely connected collection of songs about sacrifice. (Volume I is tentatively set to release sometime in 2009 and will focus specifically on Holy Week and Easter.)
Rather than yammering on about each track, I’ve decided to crib episode 5 of the Rabbit Room podcast, in which Peterson plays an edited version of each track, adding commentary on each. It’s 35 minutes long, so get a cupajoe, plug in your headphones, and give it a listen.
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Probably my favorite track on Resurrection Letters: Volume II is the second. When I got the album, I was especially struck by the arrangement of Hosanna (Thanks to Ben Shive for writing those strings!). It was only five or six weeks later that I really listened to the words. This excerpt is a great example of Andrew Peterson lyrics.
I have struggled to remove this raiment,
Tried to hide every shimmering strand.
I contend with these ghosts and these hosts of bright angels.
Hosanna.I have cursed the man that you have made me.
I have nursed the beast that bays for my blood.
Oh, I have run from the one who would save me.
Save me, Hosanna.
You can purchase Resurrection Letters: Volume II from any major music retailer such as amazon.com or over at the Rabbit Room store (CD or download).
