What started as a brother/sister duo and merged into an all-female trio has now become a five-piece pop rock worship band called Gracious Vine. Their latest offering, Come and Sit For A While, is an album full of praises to Jesus, lifted up by a conglomerate of sounds that borrows from different genres, such as blues, country, classic rock, and '90s alternative. Gracious Vine uses the term "mellow rock" when describing their sound, and that's also a perfect fit, because every song is indeed mellow, with a relaxing rhythm and groove. The instrumentation is very basic, with fairly little that falls outside of the bare-bones song structure, but it actually works in favor in this instance. To me, it indicates that these self-taught musicians know their limitations, and rather than attempt intricate melodies and guitar licks, they stay in their zone, and it works. Unfortunately, the opposite applies to the vocal work. Lead vocalist Joanna Fruhauf, who leads all but one song on this album, provides the aforementioned '90s alternative flavor, with a voice that sits on the borders of Alanis Morissette, Dolores O'Riordan (of The Cranberries), and Jennifer Knapp. A lot of '90s alternative failed to age gracefully, vocals not excluded, so while Fruhauf's voice may have sounded great in that era, it's become a bit rough compared to today's pop rock sounds (even without the autotune). And when mixed with the varying genres of the music itself, it just seems out of place. Simplicity is also applied to the lyricism, which seeks to bring the listener's attention to the feet of Jesus for worship and communion. "Here I stand in awe now, amidst a great multitude, pouring out my worship, a worthy sacrifice for You, so I lift my hands to give You praise and to my feet I rise, my random paid, I've been redeemed and pierced through by the fire in Your eyes" is not only a verse from the song "The Lion Roars," but is also a good summarization of what you'll come across as you listen to this album. Gracious Vine's heart for the Lord is evident with Come and Sit For A While, which is always refreshing to hear, but as artists, musicians, and songwriters, they still have some terrain to traverse in the way of becoming the best they can be.
- Review date: 10/19/15, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com
David And Nicole Binion Release First of Three New EPs Today Thu, 28 Mar 2024 16:19:00 EST |
iNTELLECT Shares How Christ Took Away His Blame On New Single Thu, 28 Mar 2024 16:15:00 EST |
Spoken Worth Debuts New Double Single Bundle, "Holy Week" Thu, 28 Mar 2024 16:05:00 EST |
Jeff Deyo, Brenton Brown, Charlie Hall, and More Reimagine Powerful '90s Worship Songs on "Break Through the Stars" Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:55:00 EST |
NEEDTOBREATHE's Sold Out Red Rocks Performance Set to Stream Globally May 19 Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:25:00 EST |
Hezekiah Walker Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Love Fellowship Tabernacle Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:15:00 EST |
Alex Henry Foster Announces New Album, "Kimoyo" Wed, 27 Mar 2024 13:55:00 EST |
Demi-Leigh Tebow to release debut book this August Mon, 18 Mar 2024 21:20:38 +0000 |
LIFELINE CHILDREN’S SERVICES, GRUPO NELSON PUBLISHERS CO-HOST BOOK LAUNCH AND SIGNING FOR “WHOSE AM I?” Thu, 14 Mar 2024 15:49:00 +0000 |
EEM’s Bibles for Kids Initiative to Provide 570,000 Free Bibles to Children & Teens in 2024 Mon, 04 Mar 2024 22:33:43 +0000 |