Michael McLean's new release on Lumen Records marks a return his classic
stylings of the 80s and early 90s, but with a more modern slant. Rather
than featuring a single singer or a through-story, As I Am
is all about the stories found in the individual songs. It's very
much in the same vein as his blockbuster albums One Heart In The Right
Place or Celebrating The Light.
The
production values of the album are excellent. As always, McLean
uses the best studio musicians to bring his songs to life. With
production by McLean, Tyler Castleton, and engineer Guy Randle,
this is perhaps the most modern, high-quality recording McLean has
ever released. There are a wide variety of styles, tempos, and genres
on the album, each united by McLean's uncanny ability to evoke and
inspire emotion. Castleton's trademark style shines through, and
adds a high-class luster to the songs. I did notice a recording
glitch (over-compressed vocals) but all-in-all, the audio quality
is incredible. And nobody in the industry gets the same piano sounds
as the incomparable Mr. Randle.
There
are several strong tracks on the album, including Tender Mercies
(Rick Logan), a touching track based on Elder Bednar's talk from
the 2005 April General Conference. One of the Lucky Ones (Rachel
Thibodeau), is a soulful reflection on the blessings many of us
take for granted. The funky Use Words (Katie Thompson) has a great
hooky beat, and uptempo gospel feel, and Come To Think Of It (Rick
Logan) has a great acoustic country/singer-songwriter sound.
Other
tracks don't fare quite as well, including the album's title track,
As I Am, the awkward lyrics of The 2nd Greatest Thing I've
Ever Done, and the not-quite-funny Just A Little Bit Longer.
McLean's
choice of vocalists is generally strong. Rick Logan, Dustin Christiansen,
Rachel Thibodeau, and Katie Thompson are phenomenal. Other vocalists
(who in their own right are great singers) seem not to fit in their
songs as well, including David Osmond, Randy Porter, Marie Pearson,
and, surprisingly, Jeff McLean.
All
in all, As I Am is a good showing from the most venerable
of LDS musicians. It's no accident that McLean has had such a successful
career. He touches on the difficulties and trials of living the
gospel in the modern world, and adds just enough inspiration to
move his listeners on to better things. Not every track speaks to
every person, but that's the beauty of As I Am: everyone
will find something on this album that does.
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Guest Reviewer: Matt
Armstrong
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