Review

Pure, transparent honesty Diverse musical sensibilities Poetic, revealing lyrics A broken heart that cries out for the lost and missing children of God I don't know by which I am more taken. Kevin Prosch has brought a gift that is amazing on so many levels.

While I can't be sure, I somehow feel Kevin will be disappointed that a worship leader, for a worship music site, is reviewing his new album. His whole life in ministry has seemed to be the antithesis of the classic paradigm of worship leading. Granted, he has given us some powerful anthems that are sung in churches around the world to this day (Show Your Power, His Banner Over Me, Shout to the Lord, Save Us, Oh God, Come to the Light, etc). However, if you listen to him, you get a sense that he does what he does only to please God and reach the unreached, and is often amazed that any churches play his songs at all.

Returning to recording after a several year hiatus, Prosch delivers what may be his best music ever. He has the most incredible ability to capture an emotion with words and music. Rhyming with rhythm more than words, he is a poet cut out of the Bob Dylan mold. I will highlight several of his songs below, but I am particularly pleased with the way he crafts them. The intros, rather than being counted off with drum sticks and launched, are layered and textured. Often two rhythms will spring up and dance around the other, as if courting with each other, not yet in unison, until such a time as they come together in a satisfying union. I know I'm being a little esoteric, but I want to describe how I felt listening (over and over) to his music. At first I was a little bugged, thinking, hey, this doesn't fit together. But after awhile I realized my own paradigm had been stretched. I now feel that Prosch musically expresses the tension between God and man, between spirit and flesh. The ultimate joining of the rhythms is all the better because of that awareness.

"Harp In My Heart" and only You can play it. Prosch chooses this message to lead off the album. It's his heart crying out to God about his inability to find anything in this world that satisfies him. It's classic Kevin as he breaks emotionally during the recording.

"How Beautiful" is next, complete with bagpipes. He writes and sings "whatever is denied cannot be healed, and the world is still drowning in an ocean of blame And , complete with bagpipes. He writes and sings "whatever is denied cannot be healed, and the world is still drowning in an ocean of blame And You love to fix broken things, broken hearts and people that fall apart just like you and me, get a brand new start."

"Into my hands have come many things. You should be disappointed for I had wasted most of these. My innocence and youth, I poured them out like water. And to think to You that I am still worth saving from the fire, God" This is how he begins the next track, "Come Down". This song slowly builds into a fine crescendo, proclaiming "I'm banging on Your door." I tell you again, Prosch's ability to capture emotion is unparalleled.

There are only nine songs on the album, but 65 minutes of music. Don't look for these songs to make the hit radio stations. They're classics, and will need an album oriented radio show to be a vehicle to the ears of the world unless you get it yourself. I would not miss the chance to have this in my collection.

Two other songs of note to show his prophetic side are "One Thing" and "Endlessness". They are both have unprinted lyrics that must have been spontaneous during the recording. The CD ends with "Ask", and musically is a tribute to one of Prosch's big musical influence: Peter Gabriel. He writes in his liner notes that he is Gabriel's number one fan.

I don't want to end this without giving props to the musicians on the album. Actually, it's a very sparse lineup, with bassist Gray Lunn, Kenny Marks on drums, Chris Hedges on cymbals, Joanne McFatter backing up vocally and Kevin on guitars, percussion, keys and loops. It is a fantastically mixed and mastered work. The drums and bass are especially good.

Great job, Kevin!

Review by: John Ausmus