Selah–Bless The Broken Road: The Duets Album (Curb Records)
The Dove-award winning group Selah’s newest release, Bless The Broken Road, marks the beginning of a new chapter in the trio’s history. After the departure of founding member Nicole Sponberg in 2004, the group searched high and low for a suitable replacement to fill Nicole’s vocal shoes. Well, I’m glad to tell you they’ve found that (more than) suitable replacement with newest member Amy Perry, and her amazing powerhouse vocals. The disc, containing ten collaborative tracks with the likes of Nicole C. Mullen, Plumb, Christy Nockels (Watermark), indie Jill Phillips and BarlowGirl among others, showcases Perry’s vocals on two of the included tracks.
Opening the disc is the first single and title track, “Bless The Broken Road”, previously recorded by country sensation Rascal Flatts. The song, featuring the vocals of the talented Melodie Crittenden, offers a message of hope for those who have encountered “bumps” along their own roads; persevere and you’ll see that which the Lord has already planned out for you. The next track, “Gentle Healer”, is the first in which we get to hear Perry sharing vocal duties with founding member Allan Hall. Some of the disc’s true highlights come in the form of a soothing ballad featuring Nichole Norderman (“Glory”), rock-tinged southern gospel with Jason and Adam Crabb (Russ Taff’s “Ain’t No Grave”), Perry’s vocal highlight (“Be Thou Near To Me”) and Phillips’ comforting “Sweet Jesus.”
While still staying true to the Selah-sound we’ve become accustomed too, the vocal trio offers up a diverse collection of songs, artists and styles that are sure to please any who give it a listen. Personally, I think it’s one of their best offerings to date. With the addition of Perry’s vocal talents to the trio, it’s very exciting to see where the group heads next musically. Hopefully, this collection is a taste of that direction. Enjoy!
Rick Campbell, The Christian Music Corner (The CMCorner); www.thecmcorner.com
