“Glass Period” by Caitlin Pasko [a review]
March 16, 2017
Strip mined hills, full of snow, stand tall in the distance like the Andes. “You are born alone”, Caitlin Pasko sings through my car stereo. The river drifts by, choppy, chunks of snagged driftwood pulled up and under the surface. Plastic trash is caught in the roadside fence. “Then you’ll die alone”. The cold is brutal. The county, the highway, the flocks of skittering birds—they are all carried along on the grief-stricken poetry and piano melodies of her new EP, Glass Period. It’s a hard journey, this highway of life that we travel. We suffer and laugh and love and hate, and some are able to put words to such abstract things. Some are able to allow their grief to be resurrected into something that heals. “But what about the time in between?” sings Pasko, and it’s a question for us all.
You can listen to and purchase the EP here.
“Steadfast” by Civilized Creature [a review]
March 12, 2017
A burst of electronic pulses and dance floor jams give way to pop vocals, quiet ambient synth and wild noises. Swooping in and out come instrumental sounds, Radiohead-like breakdowns, 80s-style synth piano, sacred promises, mystery, fire, grace. “You are not alone”, sings Civilized Creature’s Ryan Lane on his recent release, Steadfast. “It’s gonna be alright. You’re gonna be okay”. Dance music. Gospel music. Call it what you want to call it. It’s a bass-thumping, breakdance-inducing joyful noise.
You can listen to, purchase or download the album here, or explore Ryan and Civilized Creature’s work with the Nehemiah Foundation for Cultural Renewal here.
“Out of the Sea” by Heritage Hill [a review]
March 1, 2017
The apex of Heritage Hill’s debut EP, Out of the Sea, comes about halfway into the album, when the four Vancouver ladies channel Father Abraham himself, to vent what feels like every frustration, every discouragement, and every praise that’s ever come down the pike. Harmonizing over gentle bluegrass and Americana melodies, the band switches from slow lament to foot stomping worship throughout the song. It’s a haunting tune, sitting within a beautiful debut—one that captures the many brutal sides of faith, and the glory that emerges somewhere over the rise.
You can purchase the album on itunes and Google Play, or stream it on Spotify. You can also find more information about the band and their ministry here.
let us make a record 