Rating:
Genre:
Gospel
Release Date: 03/07/2006
When
Shawn McDonald's
Sparrow debut appeared in 2004, listeners were only getting their first tastes of laid-back acoustic
pop by the likes of mainstream artists
Jack Johnson,
John Mayer and
Jason Mraz. While it didn't stray far from the troubadour formula made popular by
Shaun Mullins and
Edwin McCain in the late '90s, acoustic
pop gained popularity with its counter-act to the increasingly heavy
pop-metal of acts like
Nickelback.
McDonald made a name for himself with a similar formula of mellow guitar and
hip-hop beats. Two years later, with a fan base in tow, his second studio effort took the same down-home acoustic
folk and added enough experimentation to distinguish it from its predecessor without taking too much of a detour. The listeners he won over with his stripped-down earthiness in the past should feel the same satisfaction after digesting
Ripen. This time around, he pounds home the theme of taking what we have and making it beautiful. The way to do this, he insists, is by continually acknowledging our nothingness before God, as heard on tracks like
"Confess," "I Am Nothing" and
"Ramblings of a Beggar." Some of the most potent acoustic
pop tracks are
"Free" -- which appeared on
Wow Hits 2006 --
"Reason," and
"Pour Out," a vulnerable gem with the crystal-clear acoustic vibe of
Fleetwood Mac's
"Landslide." The best departure is the
flamenco fantasy
"Imago," with its rhythmic picking by guest guitarist
Roy Brewer and a
"Dido"-like
trance beat. All in all,
Ripen showed enough growth to widen
McDonald's group of core listeners well beyond the coffeehouse crowd. It is extremely likeable for
folk-pop enthusiasts and the world at large.
~Jared Johnson, All Music Guide
Cart 0 items
Login
My Account
Order Status
Help
Listen
