Random Musings

I haven’t done album reviews in a long while.

That’s partly because I haven’t been listening to full albums for a long time. I believe the concept of the “album” as we know it is slowly losing its relevance in today’s music landscape. There was a time when we stepped in a CD shop, bought an album, and went back home to listen to it on our CD players or slot it into our car audio systems. But that’s not really the case anymore. Nowadays we either just buy the “greatest hits” compilation (if we do buy CDs anymore, that is) or we just listen to the hit singles on YouTube. Or we ask our friends to send the required songs to us.

But anyway, that discussion is for another day. Back to my review of “Beautiful Seed”…

I mentioned awhile back that I received “Beautiful Seed” as a gift from Carrie, a fellow songwriter friend. It was a most pleasant surprise indeed.

This is the first and only Corrinne May album that I own. However, I’ve listened to many of her songs on YouTube. Prior to listening to this album, my favourite Corrinne May songs are “Everything In It’s Time” and “Angel In Disguise” (quite simply, one of the most amazing songs I’ve heard).

…

Substance Over Style

Don’t listen to Corrinne May’s latest album hoping to find formulaic pop songs filled with polished hooks and irresistible beats. You won’t find any. It’s not the kind of “instant gratification” music that you hear so commonly on radio nowadays.

The songs are much deeper than that.

Most of them might not strike you at first listening, but as you listen to them over again with discernment, you’d slowly appreciate the value in these songs.

It’s hard to find albums like this nowadays. Nowadays producers try to wow the listener with extremely fancy production effects. Mostly ”style over substance”, I would say. 

“Beautiful Seed” is more substance over style. The focus is on the songs, not the sounds.

The arrangements of the songs, it has to be said, are rather plain & simple. And I suppose that’s what Corrinne May had intended for it to be. No fancy beats or complex orchestral arrangements. Not much vocal harmonies even. Just mostly a piano and some simple drum and bass backing.

It almost sounds as if she recorded all the songs in one sitting, by the piano. I suppose the intention is for the listener to focus on her rich, velvety alto voice, as well as the songs itself.

…

Music & Lyics

Overall, the songs in “Beautiful Seed” seem to be more personal, reflective, and mature as compared to her previous albums…a fact which Corrinne May herself acknowledges on her blog (here). 

Corrinne May has her own musical style, and this style is evident in all her songs in “Beautiful Seed”.

To be honest, a lot of the songs sound similar. It could be because of the similar basic arrangements that each song has. Or it could be because her strong songwriting style pervades over all the songs. Y’know, the slow, melancholic, pensive style of music.

But I’d have to admit, she does have the gift of the occasional brilliant tune, as demonstrated in her earlier songs.

However, none of the tunes in this album really hit me as being totally outstanding (unlike when I heard “Angel In Disguise”), but most of the tunes kinda grow on you slowly. They’re not those “in your face” kind of tunes.

Lyrics-wise, she is excellent.

I’ve got a suspicion that she writes her lyrics first, then her tunes. Just a hunch. Cos the way her lyrics are written, they just seem so complete and uncompromised.  

Her lyrics are very meaningful, unlike a lot of frivolous commercial lyrics we hear in music nowadays.

She tackles topics such as the power of friendship, the biblical story of the five loaves and two fishes, emotional scars, jealousy, her little nephew, and the city of Los Angeles.

Every line of her lyrics makes a lot of sense. And she articulates them well too. 

Ultimately, her faith in God shines through powerfully throughout the album.

…

Favourites

My favourite songs in this album are “City of Angels”, which is her sketch of the city of L.A., where she lived for 8 years, “Leaving”, which is a song about leaving one’s bad habits, and “Shelter”, which is a song about friendship.

I have to admit I prefer her slightly faster songs to the slow ones.

…

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed listening through the entire ”Beautiful Seed” album, because it made me really listen AND think about the music that was presented to me. Most of the time nowadays, the music makes us listen, but doesn’t really make us think…because there isn’t really that much in the song to think about anyway.

It’s like the difference between watching a Jerry Bruckheimer film such as “Armaggedon” and watching “Remember The Titans”. One is more for the thrilling sensation, the other leaves us with plenty to think about.

I also like the fact that Corrinne May is proud to sing and write songs about her Christian faith, and that she’s being a good testimony for God through her profession as a singer-songwriter.

She’s making full use of the bountiful talents which God has blessed her with to glorify God and lead others to Him.