Jon Abel

Congregational praise music, with its single-minded themes and singable melodies, is inherently a dorky genre. The antithesis of rock music, it evolved from the primordial ooze of fresh-faced counselors strumming a guitar around a campfire while teens sang “Kumbaya.” Which is why it is such a ‘tall-glass-of-lemonade-in-summer’ relief when an artist like Jon Abel comes along and puts the “cool” back into corporate praise.

Never mind that Abel is the offspring of a former monk and a former nun. Never mind that he wears the very same fat navy and green striped tie my father donated to Goodwill back in the Nixon era. With a whispery, gentle voice that’s been compared to Bebo Norman, this young worship leader from Dallas knows how to write an infectious hook, how to sing it with sincerity, and how to assemble first-rate musicians to back his infinitely listenable soft pop arrangements.

Released in late 2007 as the fourth in a series of acclaimed independent projects, Back to You sounds as though it sprang from the vault of a major record label. Much of the credit belongs to multi-talented producer Cary Pierce (of the 90’s acoustic pop band Jackopierce), who added guitar, keyboard, bass, and backup vocals. As co-writer of nine of the ten tracks, Pierce leaves the biggest songwriting thumbprint on the album, followed closely by Abel with eight song credits.

Although Abel is a composer for Universal/Brentwood Music, Back To You has plenty of additional songwriting muscle, including Chris Tomlin, Marc Byrd, Steve Hindalong, and Brandon Heath. Pierce, Abel, Tomlin and Jesse Reeves are responsible for writing “Awesome Is The Lord Most High,” a song that’s already proved popular with worship leaders, including Tomlin and Eoghan Heaslip. The lyrics are not extraordinary. “Raise your hands all you nations/ Shout to God all creation/ How awesome is the Lord most high” (”Awesome Is The Lord Most High.”) Like its album siblings, it’s a quick-latch tune that’s simple to learn and sing.

This CD is bursting with melodic phrases that get pasted into your brain after only two or three listens. “There Is None Like You, Sovereign Lord” (”There Is None Like You (Sovereign Lord).”) “We are crying out to You / Our hearts are crying out to You” (”Crying Out To You.”) “Holy, Holy, You are God almighty / Who was, and is, and is to come / You are worthy, worthy to receive all glory / All creation sings along” (”The Revelation Song.”) The title track, with exciting vocal leaps between octaves, is spellbindingly familiar. “No matter what we do, we can, Always … come back to You, After all that we’ve been through, we can, Always … come back to You” (”Back To You.”)

Yet even with an abundance of lyrical repetition, the songs don’t get boring, partly due to a stellar line-up of musicians whose band credits are more familiar to most of us than their names. People like drummer Dan Needham (Tomlin, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith) and bass player Mark Hill (Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood.) The arrangements are understated but keenly professional.

If there’s a weakness here, and I’m nitpicking the smallest piece of lint off Abel’s rumpled jacket now, it’s that the formula to these songs makes them sound overly similar. They’re guitar-driven, well-produced, consistent, harmonious folk-rock worship tunes that dangle from the same bait box of catchy hooks. There’s nothing here that is remotely eclectic or surprising. But it’s a captivating formula all the same.

Editor’s Note: For a limited time, a free download of “Crying Out To You” is available at www.myspace.com/jonabel.

↓ One comment

#1 Cdubya on July 21st, 2008 at 8:25 pm

Great, thoughtful review for a similarly engaging record. These are songs far better than the genre in which they are unfortunately connected. How lovely to discover both an artist and a critic that rise above the milieu in which they are burdened. I hope both of you continue to elevate the expectations of your prospective workspaces.

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