Grace

Description

Grace is the sixth studio album by the American singer and songwriter Margaret Becker, released on Sparrow Records in February 1995. The album was produced by Charlie Peacock except three tracks produced by Tommy Sims.

The follow up to Margaret Becker’s last album, ‘Soul‘ – the remarkably delightful pop departure from her reign as gritty rock queen – has been highly anticipated to see if it would continue in the tracks laid by its commercially successful predecessor or return to her rockier roots.

Well, from all accounts, the pop sheen of Maggie B. is her to stay. In fact, she along, with producers Charlie Peacock (seven songs) and Tommy Sims (three songs), have taken her new sound one step further down the pop songstress road as it approaches the world-beat influences of an Annie Lennox or Peter Gabriel. The songs hold that special Becker magic of being honest about the journey of faith, though the lyrics are perhaps not as poignant as in past efforts. Smooth throughout, Becker’s vocals never falter an iota, but fans of ‘Immigrant’s Daughter‘ and ‘Soul’ may be surprised by the control she maintains, never totally letting go with the passion her voice has so often exhibited in the past. It’s not that the album’s not emotive, it just seems to be a more subdued Becker than ever heard before.

Revolving around the central theme of grace, Becker is quick to laud the dangers of trying to work one’s way to heaven and falling headlong into the trap of legalism in the title cut, «Grace» – “I swung that hammer/ Till my hands got weak/ Swung that thing/ Till I was crazy from the heat/ I built that tower right in my back yard/ I worked so long man, I tried so hard/ Ain’t no ladder/ Ain’t no steps/ Ain’t no way to earn it/ I’m talkin’ ’bout grace.” Musically, this tune brought back memories of the funkiness of «Soul Tattoo» with a deep bass-led groove and a piano that flirts with the melody line.

The tender ballad «Close Enough to Change» finds Becker again at her lyrical best with the chorus “Oh, for the eyes that can see/ All the love You have for me… For the heart that can keep/ The memory of your peace/ And for the truth to remain/ Close enough to change.” The Ace of Base-inflected «Noonday Sun» points to the light inside while the bittersweet urgings of «We May Never» remind that “we may never pass this way again/ so let us love like we could love.” And the first single and video, «Deep Calling Deep», aims for a deeper love and a higher understanding of God, His grace and truth.

The songs build in interest and groove as they progress, adding musical and vocal twists and turns along the way, unlike on ‘Soul’ in which most tunes opened with full-in-the-face intensity. The whole album represents a different approach for Becker, and it’s done very well – the production, lyrics and music are all strong. However, it seems the musical direction falls short somewhat in that it has lost sight of some of the power and passion that makes Margaret Becker so unique. Rather than rearing that independent and spirited red head her fans so love, this album stretches the boundaries of adult contemporary Christian pop. A more mature effort? Certainly, but also certainly not the spunkiness normally associated with Margaret Becker. It’s a more mellow album, a quieter Becker, a more thoughtful expression of ‘Grace’ rather than a powerful testimony of ‘Soul’. [April Hefner, CCM, March 1995]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/grace/724514880)

CD tracklist:

01. Deep Calling Deep – 3:46
02. My Heaven – 4:11
03. True Devotion – 4:14
04. Only Your Love – 3:54
05. Grace – 5:04
06. I Trust In You – 4:27
07. Close Enough To Change – 4:41
08. Noonday Sun – 3:55
09. Moment Of Choice – 4:32
10. We May Never – 4:31

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Sparrow Records.