Album Review: 40 Acres by Caedmon's Call

Album Name - 40 Acres

Artist - Caedmon's Call

Label - Essential Records

Year - 1999

Genre – Christian, Folk, Rock

Preference Rating (1- Hate, 2-Dislike, 3-Okay, 4-Like, 5-Love) - 5

Production Quality (1-Noise, 2-Home, 3-Standard 4-Profesional) - 4

Music Quality (1-Bad, 2-Novice, 3-Amature, 3- Professional, 5-Great) – 4

Sometimes you look back at albums you liked in your past and think to yourself “how could I listen to that?” Other times you look at albums from your past and you see a lot to love and respect. This is one of the latter. While Caedmon’s Call has been less than stellar since the album right after this one. They really did produce some art here. The band is filled under the Christian genre, but there is still good music for all. Some of the tracks like "Daring Daylight Escape” are just love songs. In "Daring Daylight Escape" a guy is proposing a question to a girl he likes, and her answer might make him follow the tracks title. It captures that youthful hesitation and angst over matters of infatuation that most of us experience at some time or another. The album has a strong folk sound with rock and other influences wedded throughout the album. Songs that approach faith directly even when dressed in the language of faith, often are addressed to God without mentioning him directly. "Faith My Eyes" is a track that both address the nostalgia of having moved on from one’s home town while looking back on it, and a prayer that to keep them on the path they are on. The album has lots on unique percussion and talents, for the album they had a drummer as well as a second percussionist just to play the exotic stuff. Probably due to the influence of Derek Webb, at the time Caedmon’s Call didn’t have an issue addressing doubts and questioning faith. Such questions are woven into a multitude of tracks on their first three albums. "Shifting Sand" is one of the few tracks where the lead vocals are done by Danielle Young, the bands female vocalist. The Song addresses the tumultuous nature of faith by comparing its nature to sand which is changed by every wave. The album does a good job at capturing experiences from life, and is worth a listen.

Resources:

• Caedmon’s Call (http://www.caedmonscall.com/) Artist’s web site.