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Carry Us Through Stories In My Pockets 4:31 |
Carry Us Through
Re:Think Records
Featuring a more stripped-down sound than her previous, self-titled album, Sarah Masen's Carry Us Through once again offers songs which reveal surprising openness and wisdom for one so young. With an almost folk-rock sound, Masen combines her impressive vocal talent and ability to write piercingly insightful lyrics to create a truly impressive art-work.
Starting off the album is "Season's Always Change," a song co-written by Masen and Charlie Peacock's son, Samuel. "Seasons" is a song about the growth of friendship through, and perhaps sometimes in spite of, the passage of time. It is a friendship rich in innocence, full of the mystery of change, and embracing the whole of the human experience. As she sings, "soon we will play when the cool rolls of the day / there's goodness and there's pain / and the heart goes 'round again / and for now it never ends" and later "can we learn to love through our mistakes? / Can we take our visions all the way? / Is there a fear that things will always change? / Let it go, let it go." It is indeed true that the only constant in life is the constancy of change. Masen has learned a lesson that many twice or more her age have yet to learn: change is inevitable but growth is optional. And if we can learn to let go of the past, of the mistakes we have made, and learn to forgive others for their mistakes, we can indeed have the treasure of a lasting friendship.
The hit release, "Wrap My Arms Around Your Name" is a song in which Masen expresses her desire to go beyond the ritualization practiced by many. As she writes, "save communion for the holidays / and keep perception at a safe arms length. Does hallelujah wear the same old face?" It is easier, sometimes, to accept the "mystery" of God than to question. To some, questioning God is equivalent to heresy. It is not without reason, though, that scripture tells us to "work out our salvation" in fear and trembling, for this is the way to true belief.
Other highlights of the album include "Stories In My Pockets," which is filled with rich word images, and the song "Jenni's Face."
The bluesy, up-tempo title track, "Carry Us Through" has a sound reminiscent of Cheryl Crow, and the message that those whose hope is in the Lord will not be disappointed.
"75 Grains Of Sand" with its slightly techno-beat promises to be the next hit from this project. The title is a reference to the idea that life passes like sand through an hour-glass. If we could only hold in our hands the "grains of sand" which have passed, we could relive the days with "a glimpse of the now that would change the then."
Masen is joined on several songs by such CCM luminaries as Christine Dente, Charlie Peacock, and Charlie's son, Samuel. The album was produced by Charlie Peacock.