Lenny Smith is back with a collection of new recordings of older songs written between 1971 and 2000. If you aren’t familiar with Lenny Smith, you may recognize one of his most well know songs “Our God Reigns.” He is also father to Daniel Smith of Danielson/Sounds Familyre/Steve Taylor and the Danielson Foil fame. This collection of songs continues in the folk/singer-songwriter/alternative music style of past recordings, with a definite “Sounds Familyre” sound thrown in the mix. Of course, Lenny puts his own stamp on the whole sound – maybe it is his unique voice, or the way he arranges the instruments, but you know it is Smith when you hear it. There is a general joyous sound to the music here, and not just because these are worship songs. This is a deeper joy than the typical synthesized joy on many worship albums. And, of course, there is the Smith-family eclecticism here that makes sure things stay interesting and unexpected. Highlights for me include the bouncing album opening one-two punch of “Teach Me, My God” and “Ho! Everyone Who Thirsts”, the rollicking “City, O City”, and the album closer “With All My Heart” that seems to bring out the whole family (or a lot of background singers). As usual, a solid collection of music that feels fresh and innovative in a day and age where those qualities are sorely missed from modern music.
Leave a Reply