Reunion of the Heart

Description

Reunion of the Heart is the gospel debut album by the British singer, songwriter, and keyboardist Mal Pope (Maldwyn Pope) of Trade Secret fame, released on Kingsway Music in 1998. The album was engineered by Andy Coughlan at the Kings Palace in Swansea, Wales; with Mal Pope producing. Fellow Welshman Martyn Joseph duets on a cover version of the Malcolm and Alwyn classic “Fool’s Wisdom“.

Mal is of course a music veteran with a great deal of experience in both CCM and mainstream pop. The album, which has a soft rock feel, contains a whopping 13 songs, all of which have a strong lyrical content and, as with many singer/songwriters, Mal’s delivery works best on his own material. Production values compare favourably with many top British CCM albums and the musicianship is tight, but pleasantly understated. I suspect that the understatement is exactly what Mal and his crew were aiming for, as they obviously had more to give. My favourite Mal-penned tracks were «God Is Love» and «His Body Was Broken», with Stuart Townend‘s «How Long» as the best of the rest, but the whole album stands up well as a package. I’ll keep listening to this! [Willie Hamilton, Cross Rhythms, December 1998]

Mal Pope has paid his dues many times over. His session appearances on many an album, most notably with his good friend Martyn Joseph and a key place on the City of Gold album (a single from which recently hit the US Christian Music charts), have recently brought Pope into the spotlight. But heads really started turning when BBC Radio One DJ Simon Mayo described Pope and his crew as the “best band in Britain,” after hearing them perform at a birthday party, and began giving out their phone number on national radio.

This album mostly consists of worship ballads. Pope has a soft voice somewhat reminiscent of Chris Eaton and chooses for his musical backing a refined, organic pop sound. The slightly organic touch helps this album stand out from many of its adult contemporary colleagues.

«Fool’s Wisdom», a duet with Martyn Joseph is a rendition of the 1970s Malcolm and Alwyn number. Initially Joseph’s voice feels a little awkward but once the track takes hold, the two friends’ voices interweave easily, the finger-picked guitar is more than appropriate, and its stripped-back simplicity make it a standout.

Pope’s own writing takes most of its inspiration from the Bible. Songs based upon the story of Jonah and the crucifixion are the most obvious examples. «Oh Righteous God» seems to be perched somewhere between a psalm and a traditional hymn and has a suitably “large” and majestic backing, without being overbearing.

Oh righteous God who searches hearts and minds
Bring to an end the violence of my foes
And make the righteous more secure
Oh righteous God.

There are a couple of tracks which seem a little over-affected, but otherwise Pope has managed to craft an album of worship songs which tread a thin line – they are accessible enough for a broad range of listeners without being as cliched as much of modern worship music. [James Stewart, The Phantom Tollbooth, 5/10/99]

CD tracklist:

01. God Is Love – 4:04
02. What A Friend – 3:43
03. My God Is Mighty – 3:49
04. Why Should I Worry – 2:45
05. Reunion Of The Heart – 4:06
06. Fool’s Wisdom (feat. Martyn Joseph) – 4:06
07. Oh Righteous God – 3:50
08. Jonah – 3:40
09. His Body Was Broken – 3:18
10. For Me – 4:43
11. Tell Me – 4:17
12. When Was The Last Time You Asked – 2:51
13. How Long – 6:29

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Kingsway Music.