STYLE: Pop RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 25334-12976 LABEL: Fair Trade Services 000768420324 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1 RELEASE DATE: 2007-06-30 RRP: £9.99
Reviewed by Alastair McCollum
Carrying on in the vein of passionate, well crafted songwriting which has marked Webb's career both as part of Caedmon's Call and on his solo releases, this is also a development in his musical journey with a wider selection of styles and instruments than was heard on previous releases. This is perhaps a fuller working out of the variety glimpsed on some of this tracks from his 2003 release 'She Must And Shall Go Free' with not an acoustic guitar in sight until the final track. 'The Ringing Bell' is an immensely listenable album, carefully produced and musically sharp. Here we see a gentler side to the songsmith - the music has a 'retro pop' vibe, with songs like "I Don't Want To Fight" adding strings and jangly guitars to a catchy hook and "Name" sporting a bass line reminiscent of later Beatles tracks. Throughout, the songs feel very personal, with lyrics speaking to events and people in Derek's own life, reflecting his own love affair with God, and calling hearers to a commitment to Christian life which should infuse our lives. Webb's willingness to try something different in the feel of this album pays off, from the opening noises (his term, not mine) which sound like a heartbeat on an ultrasound scan, to the stripped down acoustic and voice track "This Too Shall Be Made Right", which closes the CD. An album of maturity, style and substance.
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Product Description
'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.' Matthew 5:9
'The Ringing Bell' is an album of action. Specifically, the action called peace. Derek challenges us to an actionable peace that is active and aggressive.
Often used as a noun but rarely as a verb, peace is commonly misused, falsely defined and often flies under the flag of convenience. 'The Ringing Bell' sounds the clarion call to demonstrate a love that is not just convenient but is chasing after the best for all our fellow humans.
Moving from the more stark palette featured on his previous album, Derek paints with all the musical brushes available to him on this latest work. This upbeat, electric guitar-based recording provides the perfect accompaniment to the challenge of demonstrating an active peace just as Christ did.
'The place where peace starts is between two people and how they handle a disagreement. If I’m really serious about peace I have to love people more than I love ideas.' Derek Webb.