Faith, Hope & Love

Description

Faith, Hope & Love is a solo album by the American singer and songwriter Mylon LeFevre (credited Mylon LeFevre & Friends), released on StarSong Records in 1992. The album was recorded by Dave Wagner and Scott Allen at Angel Band Studios in Marietta, Georgia; with Mylon LeFevre and Allen producing. Mixed by Win Kutz at Eagle Mountain Studios in Ft. Worth, Texas.

After a year-long sabbatical, Mylon has returned to recording with ‘Faith, Hope & Love’, an album that might be described as ‘Brand New Start, Part 2′. LeFevre’s latest effort finds him moving in an adult contemporary direction and away from the trendy, teen-oriented rock that he was becoming a bit stale at performing. You can’t help but notice from the cover that Mylon is missing his famous pony-tail; and while it would be tempting to compare Mylon’s haircut and subsequent stylistic shift with Samson’s loss of strength due to a shave, the fact is that LeFevre’s new music is every bit as compelling and in many ways, more honest, than a lot of what he attempted as a rock and roller.

Mylon is not shy about showing off “& Friends” from the git-go. Prominently featured on vocals on the opening track, «Invicible Love», are Kentuckians Steven Curtis Chapman and Ricky Skaggs; Skaggs also contributes evocative fiddle and mandolin parts to the track, and does a little testifyin’ during the closing chorus. And the fun doesn’t stop there; it’s like being backstage at the Dove Awards – see if you can spot the celebrities! On the very next track, Carman joins Mylon for a surprisingly robust vocal workout on «The Name of the Lord». That track, as well as «The Power of Love» (featuring Michael English), «Humble Yourself» and «Callin’ Down Fire» mix some rock and pop elements, but for the most part, LeFevre takes a subdued approach; decibels don’t count as much as emotional intensity, and Mylon’s husky voice has that to spare.

Lest his faithful fans of a decade feel abandoned, Mylon courts them with «Don’t Say It’s Over», and upbeat reminder that this change in his music doesn’t lessen his (nor should it lessen our own) commitment to press on to the higher calling. Midway through the album, Mylon echoes the title theme in «Closer Than A Friend», by joining with pals Michael English and Michael W. Smith, as the three cajole one another to rise to the challenge of remaining true to one’s purpose. Throughout the album, LeFevre frequently stops to offer praise to the Lord, who has sustained him all these years; the worship classic «Give Thanks» (with co-lead vocals by 4 Him) and «Humble Yourself» are especially potent acknowledgements.

The album is not without its flaws, however. The first of two miscues in the disc is the instrumental «Masterpeace». It’s a competently-played piece of lite jazz, and one can appreciate Mylon’s desire to show off his new band. Still, it’s stylistically out-of-character with the rest of the album, and disrupts the momentum that had been building nicely over the previous eight songs. The other misplaced track is «Callin’ Down Fire», which sounds like a tune Russ Taff or White Heart could have ignited; ironically, it lacks the fire of some of the softer songs.

The closing «Faithful» returns things to an acoustic format, as Mylon stresses the fact that, no matter what form one’s ministry may take, it’s important to be as faithful to God’s vision for you as he is in sustaining that vision. Thankfully, LeFevre has added a good deal of respect and maturity to the “adult” in adult contemporary music. I for one am glad he’s making music for folks closer to his age than his daughter’s. [Bruce A. Brown, CCM, December 1992]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/faith-hope-love/724546223)

CD tracklist:

01. Invincible Love
02. The Name Of The Lord
03. Holy Is The Lord
04. The Power Of Love
05. Don’t Say It’s Over
06. Give Thanks
07. Closer Than A Friend
08. Humble Yourself
09. Masterpeace
10. Callin’ Down Fire
11. Faithful

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette (SSC 8255) and CD (SSD 8255) by StarSong Records.