{"id":280,"date":"2008-10-17T12:25:45","date_gmt":"2008-10-17T12:25:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/barryandmichelle.com\/2008\/10\/17\/reviews-of-our-music\/"},"modified":"2008-10-17T12:25:45","modified_gmt":"2008-10-17T12:25:45","slug":"reviews-of-our-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barryandmichelle.com\/blog\/2008\/10\/17\/reviews-of-our-music\/","title":{"rendered":"reviews of our music"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Reviews of “Long, Straight, Uphill Climb”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“Barry and Michelle Patterson are simply great writers and musicians. But I think the honesty of this album is what gets to me – the first line of the album starts it well – “Obscurity embraces me, have I been put away?” I think embracing who we are as people, mortal, flowers, brilliant yet fading in the field if you will, is a central challenge to us in our society of achievement, of “bigger is better, you’ll never diminish into obscurity.” So I think it’s the courage in Michelle’s voice “let’s drink it down like a bottle of perfect wine,” that comes through, the knowledge that the abyss is inevitable but that God keeps us even in the darkest parts. Another of my favorites, “How Sweet,” begins epically and the lyrics and melody don’t disappoint. Simple…hitting really joyful moments… Anyway, I really like the album as a whole. It feels cohesive, it’s inventive in melody and lyric and I can worship in moments and contemplate life in others. Brilliant job Barry and Michelle!”–Aaron Strumpel<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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barry and michelle patterson’s latest release entitled “long
\nstraight uphill climb” is one of those albums that grips you and won’t
\nlet you go.  i promised a review of the album to the artists and
\nunfortunately for them, they’ve had to wait for weeks because, to be
\nhonest, i couldn’t get past the first track for the first several weeks
\nof listening.<\/p>\n

“abyss” is the opening track on the album.  the
\ndriving guitar coupled with michelle’s lyrics and lilt took me to a
\nplace that i had to stay for a while.  about surrender, a topic that
\ncauses me to squirm in my chair a bit from time to time, “abyss” not
\nonly evokes the deep seated feelings of fear and anxiety that go along
\nwith waiting on the lord through its lyrics, but also through the tone
\nand anguish noted in michelle’s vocals.  she’s able to completely be
\npresent in the simultaneous questioning and certainty of the line
\n“maybe it will be… okay.”  <\/p>\n

the remainder of the album has
\ntaken me on a journey and has in the end left me feeling closer to
\ngod’s heart and closer to the artists themselves.  this album seems to
\nhave a deeply personal touch – not something lacking in previous
\nefforts, but yet something very tangible on this album in particular. 
\nthe tracks with barry on lead vocals almost all focus on the deep,
\nwide, never-changing love of the father.  it’s clear that his
\nunderstanding of that grace, that acceptance, that true love… has
\ngrown immensely and again, it not only comes through the lyrics but in
\nthe passion of his voice.<\/p>\n

all in all, this album for me is about hope.<\/p>\n

“it will be a long straight uphill climb
where all the grief and pleasure intertwine”<\/p>\n

barry
\nand michelle have lived this life.  one where grief and pleasure
\nintertwine… and they exude the hope and faith of ones who have come
\nto realize that god loves them through every inch of pain and
\nsuffering, just as much as he loves us in the success and joy of our
\nlives.<\/p>\n

a true gem of an album – you shouldn’t pass on adding this one to your collection!–Suzanne Fletcher<\/em><\/p>\n

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Reviews of “So High”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“If Sarah McLachlan was in a band with the Cocteau Twins, and they decided to perform primarily devotional and worship songs in a format loosely like Out of the Grey, you’d have something that could still only aspire to be as wonderful as Barry and Michelle Patterson’s So High. Over dreamy, acoustic-driven folk-rock beds, the Patterson’s impassioned vocals (Michelle sings the lion’s share) inhabit lyrics redolent with Biblical imagery and intense devotion to the Risen Savior. Their songs laud Jesus as the Source of love (“Come”), as the all-faithful Lord (“Your Faithfulness”), as the Uncircumscribable (“So High”), and as the true heart of pleasure (“There is No One”). Simply to hear these songs is to be an aural witness to the majestic depth and beauty of the Living God. Highly recommended.” — Kemper Crabb<\/span><\/p>\n


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Reviews of “Birth”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“Birth’ continues the Patterson’s trademark fusion of highly literate, passionate worship and creative acoustic music. Using the occasional rhythm section, mandolin, accordian, tin whistle, saxophone, and exotic percussion, Michelle and Barry’s warm, beautiful vocals alternate and intertwine above atmospheric folk-rock musical beds. The depth of these songs, and the sensitive, intelligent structure of the lyrics are as striking as any I’ve ever heard. Equally as impressive as the lyrics and musicianship is the heart-felt and earnest sincerity here displayed. Would that all recordings have a mere quarter of the musical, lyrical, and spirtual quality that ‘Birth’ manifests. The world, both musically and spiritually, would be a much finer place.” — Kemper Crabb<\/span><\/p>\n


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“Get this album if you dare … if you dare be lead into His presence. If you dare be brought to tears over and over. If you dare approach the Creator with your heart open for inspection and your soul laid bare. I did. And I found healing. I found joy. I found sadness that produces repentence without regret … I am so moved by this music that I want to share it with everyone I know. I want all new moms and dads to hear “Baby Song.” I want all my coworkers to hear “Round and Round.” I want disheartened servants to enjoy “Scavengers.” And every body in the whole earth needs to know just “How Good He Is.” Thank you, Father, for these two and their gifts.”–Bill Stark<\/span>
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“He Is” brings my soul to the throne of our loving God!  <\/span>“He Is” has the clearest lyrics EVER! The Pattersons bring your soul straight to the healer – Jehovah Rapha! I heard it at Ballet Magnificat’s Summer Dance Intensive and God used it to heal a very difficult spot in my life. 5 stars isn’t enough! Check it out!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n
–Linda, from CD Baby review<\/span><\/h5>\n
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Reviews of “Juniper Loop, Ascend”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“This is not music for the masses; this is music for the mass of voices inside of you crying for music that laughs and cries with a passion nonexistent in the blas\u00e9 music you wish you didn’t have to hear, or hear about, every day. Raw, pure, substantial–these are some of the words that have enough power to scratch the surface of the truth behind Juniper Loop’s soulful melodies. Ascend punches through clouds of confusion with an uncommon clarity… There’s simple, and then there’s exquisitely simple, and Juniper Loop\u2019s Ascend is the latter…”<\/p>\n

–Davin, CD Baby review<\/p>\n

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Reviews of “Odds and Ends”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“This is a powerful collection of deep cuts and friend favorites that just didn’t fit into other albums so here they all are together as one.  Dare I say maybe the most personal of all the albums, maybe not for Barry and Michelle but for us the listeners… or at least me.  “Skin” is probably one of the most powerful songs I have heard…<\/p>\n

–from Itunes review<\/p>\n

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“This CD is a great compilation. An awesome inspiration to me in my faith walk. They speak the truth through their God-given talents. I love it as I do all their work.. I am excited to hear more. It is an ongoing beauty of their love for the Lord.”<\/p>\n

Trudy Krizman<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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Reviews of “Long, Straight, Uphill Climb” “Barry and Michelle Patterson are simply great writers and musicians. But I think the honesty of this album is what gets to me – the first line of the album starts it well – … Continue Reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/barryandmichelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/barryandmichelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/barryandmichelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barryandmichelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barryandmichelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=280"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/barryandmichelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/barryandmichelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barryandmichelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barryandmichelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}