Review: Twila Paris "He Is Exalted"

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    Not often do people write reviews for albums which are thirteen years old. But the live worship album “He is Exalted” by Twila Paris deserves another hearing.

    On this album, Twila presents a very faithful summary of the Christian faith. The songs chosen for this album speak of such Christian themes as glory, being loved, being saved, and spiritual comfort.

    Twila’s voice is well composed and pleasant to receive.

    The choir as backing vocals also brings a sense of sincere spiritual centering without which the music would be absent something significant and meaningful.

Lifted Higher

    I love the line… “see the passion in the art” ! Twila projects a passion for sure. And the theme of the song “his name is lifted”, well, 2.5 billion Christians live on this planet. Yes, his name is lifted.

     The chord changes inspire a sense of joy as they sing “higher, higher, higher”. You will find yourself singing along.

He is Exalted

        Obviously inspired by the many Psalms of the Old Testament.

        The drums and percussion emphasize and punctuate a musical paragraph of worship which seems to linger in the heart long after hearing it.

Hosanna

   “May you receive only honor in all that we do”

     Great guitar work. This song comes across like a soft-driving rock song.

All Things Work Together

Twila’s introductory narration of encouragement introduces a “declaration, a statement of faith” to the promise that “all things work together for those who are called”. Her voice is particularly comforting here.

God is in Control

           Another rock-driving sound, heavy on guitar and drums this song seems to envelop the soul with a steadfast faith that God is indeed in control.

Messiah

     Pulling forth the Old Testament promise of Messiah and making that Messiah real in a contemporary world. Just as the studio effect enhances the recording, Twila’s voice accentuates the prophetic voice in “Messiah”.

We All Bow Down

    Another inspiring introductory narration…

  “Let your kingdom come…in our hearts, in our lives, in our homes, our families, relationships, in our church, that we may reflect you.”

The use of ascending, repetitive prepositional placement seems to lift you from an ordinary spiritual place to one of glory.

Days of Elijah

   This tune, heavy on guitar, should cause baby boomers to tune in to a new manifestation of “peace and love”!

Enter In

          “I open up the door to life forevermore” focuses very intimately on Twila’s vocal qualities. You can embrace her control and sincerity. The accompanying piano and strings accommodate the invitation to a spiritual “entering”.

You Are Holy

              A humble, yet glory-filled anthem of praise “You are worthy”!

  

We Have Seen Your Glory

     “The word became flesh”, this song is anchored in Scripture and moving in emotion.

Hold Me Close

   A slower moving ballad of surrender and faith, swelling strings serve as a backdrop of assurance and love.

The whole of the album is spiritually arresting and promises to rapture the spirit of any who would take the time to become still and allow the spirit to move through the tones, vocals, and instrumentations of this collection of song.

I would like to thank my friend Kim Wyman, a choir vocalist on this album,for introducing me to this singer and album.

Of course, I had previously heard Twila on the radio, but taking time to focus on her vocal qualities on a full album leaves me with a greater impression of her spiritual depth!

Jeordie exceeds on "Good Luck Sun"

As a child of the emerging context of rock music in the 1960s I name three producers who made a significant impact on my appreciation of such music.

Of course there was George Martin without whom the Beatles may have been a good but unremarkable band. There is Lou Adler who very masterfully mixed and “stereo-ized” the embracing vocals of the Mamas and Papas. And then there was the most impactful producer of my listening experience, Peter Schekeryk. Peter, producing the wonderful sounds of his wife, Melanie, created a range of music, sound, effect, and style that left him without category or equal.

   His lasting influence is evident in his daughter, Jeordie, who brings forth all of those same qualities and attributes in a faithful and natural manner on her latest CD “Good Luck Sun”.

   The most dramatic song on the album is “Feel” which sounds as if it were lifted faithfully out of the late 1960s San Francisco music scene and fused with a contemporary “feel” itself. The vocals, guitar work, and song sound to me very much as if Crosby, Stills, and Nash missed out by a couple of generations on who would have made them the most complete band of the late sixties and early seventies…Jeordie.

Just in time for Christmas, Jeordie provides the very entertaining, uplifting and somewhat humorous “Unwrap You”. With jingle bells, delightful melody and lyric, Jeordie speaks of Christmas as if it were the romantic holiday much superior to Valentines Day. Much fun!

My personal favorite “Everybody Wants What You’ve Got” prompts me to imagine it as a soundtrack for a late night on the desert in Arizona, around a fire, a couple holding each other, slow dancing, looking into each other’s eyes with the comfort of reconciliation as a canopy of stars enviably bear witness.

The whole album is great! It too defies being categorized as it blends rock, soul, blues, and country into a very pleasant sound experience. Each lyric, literate and emotionally consumable, causes the listener to anticipate the next with an eager sense of discovery much like opening a wrapped Christmas gift.

Jeordie, with “Good Luck Sun”, will cause you to “tune in” musically to a contemporary sound that invokes the wondrous talents and skill which preceded her in her mother and father.

Peter, I continue to honor you. Your daughter, Jeordie lives up to, and exceeds your expectations. Be proud!

I invite you to know more about Jeordie. Please visit www.Jeordie.com

You can keep up with her on Facebook also!

I further encourage you to purchase her new album. And do so soon!