There have not been many “inspirational” albums (or albums with
religious overtones) that have caught my fancy in my 11 years of
reviewing music. Claire Lynch might be the exception to this
pattern.
Her latest release,
Friends For A Lifetime, is billed as a bluegrass album,
something I would immediately dispute. When I think of bluegrass, I
think of people like David Grisman going completely ballistic on
the mandolin. If Lynch is a proponent of any style, I’d call it
country Gospel music. Whatever you call it, it does work, even if
it’s a bit preachy at times.
Lynch’s vocals are the catalyst for most of the music contained
on this disc. Her vocal style is incredibly beautiful, even a tad
soulful at times. But her voice sounds like it would fit in with
almost any musical style, not just country.
If you’re not in the mood for a musical sermon, then you’re not
going to like
Friends For A Lifetime. However, if you’re listening just
for the music (or you can put the religious overtones to the side),
you’re going to be in for a treat. Songs like “There Is A
Fountain,” “Lead Me On,” “Your Presence Is My Favorite Gift” and
“Between The Two Of Them” simply will blow the listener away.
Especially moving is “Between The Two Of Them,” a loving tribute to
one’s deceased parents and their fond memories of them and the love
they shared for each other. This song tugs at the heartstrings, and
its message hits when you least expect it to.
There are a couple of weak moments on
Friends For A Lifetime, such as “My Name Is Judas” and the
title track, songs that, for one reason or another, just don’t
click the way one would think they should. “My Name Is Judas” is an
admirable effort to put the disgraced apostle into a slightly
better light, portraying him as someone who had a moment of
weakness followed by an intense shame for his actions. However,
this time the music and lyrics can’t support the concept.
However, seeing that Lynch relied more often than not on
material from other songwriters, she really can’t be blamed for the
weak moments on the album. If anything, I’d like to see her flex
her songwriting muscles a little more on the next album.
And, sure, the preaching does get to be a little much by the end
of the album, with references to the “rapture”. (I know some
“born-again Christians” that would probably consider this disc to
be a masterpiece.) In fact, the categorization of this disc as
“bluegrass” and not “gospel” might cause some eyes to open widely
when they first drop this into the old CD player.
Friends For A Lifetime is the kind of album that, if you’re
not paying close attention, will be somewhat of a religious
experience for you – if only to open your eyes to an incredibly
talented singer/songwriter whose voice is growing louder by the
day.
