Only Light

Description

Only Light is a praise and worship album by the American singer and songwriter Evan Thomas Way of The Parson Red Heads fame, independently released on Deeper Well Records in December 2014. The album was recorded and mixed by Danny O’Hanlon at Bungalow 9 Studios in Portland, Oregon; with Evan Way and O’Hanlon producing.

It is Evan Way’s first overtly Christ-centered record, recorded over a period of 4 months in Portland, with the help of a large rotating cast of musicians from the Deeper Well Records family (Deeper Well is the non-profit Christian label that Evan co-founded with Josh White of Telecast / The Followers / Pilgrim). Filled with dynamic performances, the album hearkens back to the music of the 1970’s Jesus Movement – taking you through cosmic country, slow burning Americana, lush CSNY-like harmonies, and orchestrated psychedelic instrumental passages.

2014’s ‘Only Light’ by the Oregon-based singer/songwriter Evan Way finally gets under the Cross Rhythms microscope. The first track, «Deeper Well», sets the tone; beginning rather cheesily with very staid lyrics and clear and sincere vocals, but moving into an impressively Beatles-esque sound with jangling guitars and drums, it is typical of the slightly retro feel of the record. Similarly, «Lord, Come Into My Life» gives us obvious rhymes over plonky piano, but builds into something altogether more interesting. «Make Us New» lifts the album out of the ordinary; the most contemporary song in style, this is an atmospheric piece as dreamy as a sunrise. «Coming Back» also has a synthy, chill-out vibe to it as it contemplates the resolution of all things at the end of time when Jesus returns. The laid-back accompaniment and backing vocals are sublime and build beautifully into a slow jam that really fits the heavenly theme. And «What A Day It Is» stands out for its midnight-quiet, eerie depths. Lyrically, the songs are very worshipful and shine with a love for the Lord, but there’s nothing new here. Until we reach track eight that is. «Tell It Like It Is» features peace blessings so unusual they stop you in your tracks and force you to think (“Peace be in… your Sunday picnics…your dustbin that blew away… “). Overall, I loved the creative fusion of a very ’60s/’70s sound with bang-up-to date chilled synth and high production standards and the jamming is great. But the fact remains, the lyrics are often cheesy, clichéd and predictable, despite Evan clearly being capable of more original writing. [Helen Whitall, Cross Rhythms, October 2016]

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CD tracklist:

01. Deeper Well – 4:42
02. He’s Calling – 3:04
03. Lord, Come Into My Life – 5:19
04. Make Us New – 3:51
05. Rest in You – 4:29
06. Coming Back – 5:32
07. Purple – 2:58
08. Tell It Like It Is – 4:29
09. What a Day It Is – 4:42
10. Only Light – 5:55

Note: The CD comes in a gatefold case, full-bleed artwork featuring photographs by Zach Martin and Duncan Galvin. Available at Bandcamp: https://evanthomasway.bandcamp.com/album/only-light

[youtube_sc url=”hVz-R3qp5NI” title=”Evan Way – Deeper Well, performed live at Mississippi Studios in Portland, OR on June 27 ” autohide=”1″ rel=”0″]