Description
Listen Closely is the sophomore album by the American pop/rock band Smalltown Poets, released on Ardent Music in 1998, marketed and distributed by ForeFront Records in the US through Chordant Distribution Group. The album was recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee; with John Hampton producing. Mixed by Skidd Mills at Ardent. Featuring a cover of “Hold It Up To The Light”, a song written by David Wilcox and originally recorded on his 1994-album, Big Horizon.
On its sophomore release, Smalltown Poets eschews the temptation to throw off the past and reinvent itself in some new trendy form. As the native Georgian boys did the first time around with their 1997 self-titled debut, Listen Closely focuses upon solid songwriting and straight-forward pop/rock performances.
Smalltown Poets tends toward accessible folk pop, with instrumental emphasis on acoustic guitar and piano while the band plays without overwhelming the song. Sure, you can listen closely to the project, however the meaning and content of these songs are readily available, floating near the surface. Sensible, listenable, warm and friendly are thoughts that come to mind when describing Listen Closely, which makes the talking intro to «Quasar» and the noisy explosion at the end of it seem out of place on the rest of the disc. Otherwise, throughout the project the songs are constructed around solid melodies and singable hooks, often telling the story of faith sparked and deepened. «New Man» and «Call Me Christian» are straight-forward and self-explanatory. Other favorites include «Garland of Grace», «The Gospel is Peace» and «Long Long Way».
Smalltown Poets does not strive to break new ground but rather to travel familiar territory in vibrant, faith-enriching fashion. In that regard the band has created a satisfying second outing, smartly written and well recorded. [Brian Quincy Newcomb, CCM, January 1999]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/listen-closely/1503204301)
CD tracklist:
01. Call Me Christian – 3:36
02. Anything Genuine – 3:05
03. There Is Only You – 3:47
04. Gloria – 3:10
05. 48 States – 3:46
06. Long, Long Way – 4:04
07. The Gospel Is Peace – 4:29
08. Hold It Up To The Light – 4:15
09. New Man – 4:58
10. Quasar – 3:19
11. Garland Of Grace – 3:49
12. One Of These Days – 2:16
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by ForeFront Records. Available at Bandcamp: https://smalltownpoets.bandcamp.com/album/listen-closely
“There Is Only You” (MUSIC VIDEO)
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