Blessed are the Meekers....For They Shall Stay Current

Pardon the biblical pun. By now you should expect nothing less from me.

Every so often a band appears that sends ripples through the industry. When that happens the CCM usually rallies its forces to bring that band into compliance with its will. If the band bends to the industry it will either become bland or cease to exist. If it manages to survive the onslaught of the industry pressure, it can reinvent the industry itself.

One of those ripples occurred just at the close of the last millennium. In 1999 three siblings from Fort Worth, Texas: Sarah, Rachel and Joshua Meeker crashed the music scene as Chasing Furies. Their sole album was With Abandon which was released that year. Thicker was the eighth most requested song on ChristianRock.net that year. Then, just as soon as they appeared, they vanished.

Fast forward. Lead Singer Sarah, now married and called Sarah Macintosh, is re-emerging as a solo artist. Current is her third solo work, the first two being Then Sings My Soul (2004) and The Waiters The Watchers The Listeners The Keepers and Me (2008). Still, it has been a four year break. Welcome Back.

Sarah gets it. What her fans expect, I mean. I was disappointed when The Benjamin Gate broke up, but when Adie Camp (formerly Adrienne Liesching) returned as a Solo artist, all the sound that was The Benjamin Gate, including her lovely South African accent, was gone. She sounds like any other Adult Contemporary Artist out there. Sarah, however has at least one song that could best be described as from Chasing Furies Lost Demos.

The CD opens with the title cut, and the listener immediately knows that this isn't your typical pop album. A dance hall drum beat, mixed with strings (or at least synthesized strings) is unlike most of the CCM Teen Pop out there. Fans of Chasing Furies would best be served by Laughter Comes Upon Us, Calling Calling, and Galaxy Forever.

If you're looking for a Pop album that stretches your musical boundaries, then you've got to check out Current. I have had a hard time just hitting repeat on this one. I especially love Damaged and the aforementioned Calling Calling. After many listens I have decided to go for it. Since my opinion of the album rises with each listen, I think it is fair to give this album a Perfect 5 Emerald Rating.

Curent releases March 6. Handle with care, It's Electric. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.