Hymns and Sacred Songs

Recorded while waiting for the re-formed Sixpence None the Richer to drop their new album, frontwoman Leigh Nash's first full-length solo record since 2006's Blue on Blue revisits her Southern Baptist church roots on brand-new interpretations of 12 hymns, both classic and contemporary. Accompanied by an impressive array of musicians including Hillsong drummer Paul Mabury and Delirious? Guitarist Stu G, the faithful renditions of modern worship songs including Aaron Keyes' "Song of Moses," Katie Gustafson's "Isaiah 55 (Nothing You Can't Do)," and Keith & Kristyn Getty's "The Power of the Cross" would undoubtedly neatly fit into her band's repertoire. But it's the eight radical reworkings of hymns from classic writers such as Charles Wesley ("Praise the Lord Who Reigns Above"), Fanny Crosby ("Blessed Redeemer"), and Robert Robinson ("Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing") where Nash's delicate and ethereal Harriet Wheeler-esque tones are at their most effective, as she breathes new life into songs centuries old with apparent ease. While the new interpretations render many of the hymns unrecognizable, producer John Hartley's tasteful arrangements still manage to treat the archaic source material with respect, allowing the message of the songs to take center stage, but surrounding them with warm layers of acoustic guitars, gentle piano chords, and brush-stroke rhythms, as evident on the banjo-plucking bluegrass of "Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us (Blessed Jesus)," the melancholic alt-country of "O Heart Bereaved and Lonely," and the powerful military-style retooling of "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come." A charming precursor to her band's eagerly awaited comeback, Hymns & Sacred Songs is a refreshingly understated back-to-basics affair that is capable of translating outside of the Christian rock audience. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi