Bryan Duncan - My Utmost For His Highest: Quiet Prayers
STYLE: Pop RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 18015-CAS2858 LABEL: Myrrh 7017003381 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1 RRP: £2.50
Reviewed by Mike Rimmer
In the wake of all the recordings supposedly inspired by Oswald Chambers' devotional, here's the first solo response and it's by one of Christian music's veterans. Strange selection of songs, a few originals but a lot of older stuff. A sparse instrumental version of "El Shaddai" and Bryan's versions of "I Surrender All", "Take My Life And Let It Be" and "As The Deer" leave me confused how Chambers has inspired the recording. I suspect that it's simply a useful spiritual hanger on which to suspend an otherwise excellent acoustic worship album. The former Sweet Comfort Band main man moves away from his blue-eyed jaunty funkiness and comes over all three in the morning mellow. 'Quiet Prayers' is just that, an acoustic, restful, quiet meditation with lots of piano and gentle guitar plucking. With such laidbackness abounding, Duncan's wonderful voice floats across the mix, sometimes gently, sometimes powerfully but it's always outstanding. For the third time in his career, he records "I Love You With My Life" which, excellent song though it is, makes me question the depths of fresh inspiration happening here. Don't get me wrong, this is a lovely album, I just wonder whether the connections to Chambers are a little tenuous.
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