nadezhda music - living hope
Chronicles
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Reviews
Never for Nothing:
Hull’s Robin & Helen Thompson have been on the Christian music scene for many
years. Stalwarts of bands such as Medieval Fete, Trinity, and Giants Will Fall,
for the past 15 years, they have been quietly going about their business as an
acoustic duo. Their first CD, “With Faith” contained a mixture of pop and folk
songs, and it’s the latter style in which the couple seem to have settled with
on this album. Proceedings begin with a re-working of the ancient hymn ‘Amazing
Grace’. If you thought that you knew the hymn well, then, think again. The words
are sung to a completely new tune and has been met, so far, with very positive
feedback. ‘Better Place’ is an uptempo number where Helen sings that being in
God’s heart is a better place”. Her voice is at it’s best on ‘Watch The
Sunrise’. Helen’s gentle tones are caressed by Robin’s backing vocals, and some
warm string sounds. Once or twice I found the mix of the vocals to be a little
low, and found it difficult to hear some of the words in ‘This Song’s For You’.
Robin’s guitar playing never falters and he’s ably accompanied by his wife’s
skilful playing of various whistles.
The beat is fairly steady through the album, but the blues tinged ‘I Want
You’ does move the pace on a little. US singer/songwriter J.Brian Hill joins
them on the closing song – a well produced version of ‘Be Thou My Vision’, which
I can see going down well, live. Living Hope remind me, a little, of Anam Caras.
It’s a simple album, but there’s a lot of quality within, and should appeal to
many. 9/10
Tim Nevell:
From the initial listening, I knew that I really liked this album. From the first falling guitar scales of the duo’s own version of Amazing Grace – a little reminiscent of Almighty God from the “With Faith” CD – I felt at home with Chronicles. Not that it is overly similar to ”…Faith”, but it occupies a similar territory, and has a similar balance which I enjoy. Both Robin’s precise acoustic rhythm guitar and sparing picking, augmented by his sensitive textural overlays provide a pleasing accompaniment to Helen’s melodies and trademark harmonies. However, in some aspects this is a more mature album. The rhythmic variation within New Day and the subtle melodic shifts in Watch the Sunrise, for example, keep the songs from being predictable. The inclusion of two traditional cover songs, Amazing Grace and Be Thou My Vision, which open and close the album is also a mature acknowledgement to a wider tradition of Worship to which Living Hope belongs, and the guest appearance of J.Brian Hill in the final duet underlines this further, although I admit I did find it a little hard to accept, since it changes the closing feel of the CD. There is also a little more instrumental backing in some tracks which work well to lift the songs, such as the beautiful cello in Watch the Sunrise, and the springy (synthesiser?) backing to New Day. I particularly love to hear Helen’s Low Whistle introduction to the optimistic This Town, and her spine-tingling Irish whistle interludes in Name Upon a Wall, a slightly tongue in cheek (I suspect) reflection on the nature of immortality. This Song’s for You is a simple devotional song with harmonies throughout, a hint of strings, and some pleasant guitar picking, providing colour. Pray is a song that is highly reminiscent of a meditative Taizé chorus, with its repeated simple phrases and building harmonies, which could potentially carry the song on for much longer. It is, like …Sunrise, lovingly crafted. Particularly effective is its juxtaposition with the next track, the upbeat bluesy Rock n Roll I want You, which is guaranteed to get an audience out of their seats, or at least clapping. I was already familiar with This Town and Better Place to Be, as they had been available as downloads, and they both find their place well in this album, Better Place, newly spruced up with an extra guitar track which gives the song a greater roundness. This is, of course obviously a (living room?) “studio” album, in the sense that Helen largely provides her own harmonies, and I find myself wondering how the couple perform their songs live – does Robin undertake vocal duties ? Living abroad, I haven’t had the chance to see them for thirteen years (since their Wild Honey incarnation), and am thrilled to know they are still making such great music together. Hope the official launch party goes well!
Tim Nevell (Sankt Augustin, Germany)