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Early last month I posted a review of Sandi Patty’s new book entitled Edge of the Divine. Not long after, I was contacted about reviewing the album by the same title.
Although Sandi Patty was a childhood favorite of mine, it has been nearly two decades since I have listened to anything new from her. For that reason, I had no idea what to expect from her vocally. While the familiar Sandi Patty vocals floated freely through the songs, there was also a newness to her style that was refreshing to hear.
Musically this album is quite the blend of styles. Typically I am not fond of albums that alternate back and forth between up-beat and slower tempo, but Sandi Patty’s album pulls that pattern off quite well. The songs flow both thematically and musically for the first seven tracks.
The theme of those first seven tracks very clearly aligns with the theme of the book The Edge of the Divine. Sandi deals with the issue of the love of Christ for us that accepts us here and now but is not content to leave us in our spiritual infancy. Redemption is a primary aspect of the theme, as is an attitude of rejoicing that flows from that redemption. The seventh track brings this theme to a close by proclaiming that the purpose of the redemption and growth is His glory alone.
The eighth track introduces a drastic mood shift toward the orchestral grandness for which Sandi Patty is famous. “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” almost seems inappropriate for the album, not for any lack of quality, but because the between-track silence after the last note should be filled instead with a standing ovation! This song is followed by a powerful performance of the old favorite “We Shall Behold Him”. Sandi backs down from the grandness to finish the album with the appropriate “My Prayer for You”, as if to say to the listener, “I am praying for you as you face the edge of your own cliff.”
Sandi Patty has definitely presented a work of excellence. Although stylistically my tastes have changed enough that this album might not end up at the top of my iTunes favorites list, it is an album that will find its way into the mix and one that I would recommend to others.
This album was sent to me for review by www.themediacollective.com.
Not Quite Ordinary 