Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 14!
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JFH Indie Review

JFH Indie Music Spotlight Review



Sandra McCracken
Red Balloon

Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 10 tracks
Street Date: September 30, 2008



There's not a great amount of good Christian folk music around, so whenever an artist appears who can craft quality folk songs, it's a special thing. Sandra McCracken is in no way new to this game, as she has already recorded five albums, and collaborated on a joint EP with singer/songwriter husband Derek Webb. Not only that, but she has occasionally lent her songwriting skills to Caedmon's Call. However, forgetting all that for the moment, how does Sandra McCracken's latest release Red Balloon stand?

Something immediately obvious when listening is the raw, almost under-produced sound of the entire album. Being used to hearing CCM singers being horribly over-produced by their record labels, it almost comes as a relief for me to find one whose music isn't polished to an attractively glossy sheen. The reason behind this is that the entire album was recorded in Sandra's home - starting with the basics, then keyboard, background vocals, bass, drums and other various sounds were added over the months until each song developed into its current "shape and form." And rarely do those songs disappoint. Highlights include opener "Guardian," folk-rocker "On the Outside," the catchiness of "Lose You" and its toe-tapping, banjo-twanging chorus, and "Big Blue Sky" with its clever musical arrangement. Red Balloon is not perfect, but it's hard to point to any specific "offender" that ought to be cut from the track listing, as all of the songs are good in their own right.

To answer my initial question, Red Balloon not only stands, it flies. Lyrically, it doesn't shy away from Christian themes; in fact, some of the songs could almost be considered gospel. Crafted with an almost indie-folk vibe to it, Sandra McCracken's latest release is a keeper. Here's looking forward to hearing more like this in the future!

- Review date: 2/24/09, written by Adam Dawson of Jesusfreakhideout.com



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. Record Label: None
. Album length: 10 tracks
. Street Date: September 30, 2008
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. Guardian (3:49)
  2. Storehouse (3:54)
  3. Lock And Key (3:43)
  4. The Tie That Binds (3:19)
  5. Saturn's Fields (4:01)
  6. On The Outside (3:44)
  7. Halfway (3:55)
  8. Lose You (4:02)
  9. Big Blue Sky (3:12)
  10. The High Countries (4:48)

 

 

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This Wednesday, October 22, 2025
SINGLES
Phil Wickham Fear Has No Power - Single [Fair Trade]

This Friday, October 24, 2025
ALBUMS
John Allan untitled EP [Centricity]
Dan Bremnes The Villain - EP [Curb]
Clear Convictions Endure [Resuscitation]
God Behind Bars Music Live From Angola Prison Vol. 1 [Provident]
Fepeste This World Ain't Mine to Change [Velvet Blue]
gio. FINE BY ME [Capitol CMG]
Brandon Lake Amazon Music Songline [Provident]
Latter Day Exploits Within Consumed (Expanded Edition) [Charon Collective]
Tyson Motsenbocker Modern Worries [Tooth & Nail]
Smalltown Poets St. Augustine (independent)
Zahriya Zachary Rediscovery [Bethel]

SINGLES
29:11 Worship, Zion Rempel You Never Fail (feat. Emily Guy) - Single [DREAM]
Joe L Barnes Grief, Joy, Gratitude - Single [Provident]
Chad Cory, Zacardi Cortez My First Love (Remix) - Single [DREAM]
Leanna Crawford Beginning Of Your Grace - Single [Provident]
darthy Juniper Tree - Single [WieRok]
Emerson Day Midnight Hour - Single [Fair Trade]
Good Weather Forecast lows2highs - Single [DREAM]
Grace + Max Rich - Single [WieRok]
Jamie Macdonald You Can't Take My Song - Single [Capitol CMG]
Mercy Tribe Music The King is in the Room (feat. Ayiesha Woods) - Single (independent)
Mountains in the Sea You Never Fail (feat. Emily Guy) - Single [DREAM]
Seph Schlueter Already On The Way (feat. Benjamin William Hastings) - Single [Provident]
Tomb Slayer The Christmas Lamb (feat. Khristian Dentley & Sarah Whittemore) - Single [Tomb Slayer]
The Undertaking! All Smiles - Single (independent)

VINYL
Clear Convictions Endure [Resuscitation]

Next Friday, October 31, 2025
ALBUMS
Hope Deferred Darkness Remains [The Charon Collective]
Testimony of Apocalypse Agony in the Garden [Roxx Records]

SINGLES
Dreamers My Heart His Home - Single [DREAM]
Roxanne Grace Try Again - Single [DREAM]
Lock & Chi Do To Me - Single (independent)
John Long Simple Pursuit - Single (independent)
Warren Zeiders How Great Thou Art - Single [Warner]


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