Dennis & Elaine Bakken - Spiritual Awakening

Published Thursday 1st December 2005
Dennis & Elaine Bakken - Spiritual Awakening
Dennis & Elaine Bakken - Spiritual Awakening

STYLE: Roots/Acoustic
RATING 4 4 4 4
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 13638-3660
LABEL: Independent
FORMAT: CD Mini-album
ITEMS: 1

Reviewed by Eliz Cooke

How many albums have you listened to that begin with the sounds of water lapping and wolves howling? This album marries the sounds of the traditional Native American instruments with the sounds of nature around the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota where this couple is based. The effect is an atmospheric musical sandwich of instruments including wooden flutes, bells and a rain stick interspersed with the hums of crickets, hooting owls and screaming birds. But the music has a relaxing effect on me and despite the shaky female vocal, this well produced album, self coined "medicine music", demonstrates lyrically a definite ministry to the broken. Track four with the simple message "What must you do to be free of bitterness?/Choose to forgive" is a song about healing through reconciliation. Despite drawing from Old Testament Scripture and standard prayers, the main spiritual focus of the album is God as Creator, a title repeated as a running theme and seems to leave Jesus out of things, which is a shame. The lyrics, although sincere, are let down by the fact that they don't seem to fit into each musical phrase and developed have a consistent habit of not fitting and end up feeling like they are trying too hard to squeeze the words in.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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