Published on Apr 18, 1999
“My Daddy said when I was just a little boy/’Lead or be led
’cause everybody makes a choice’/And then I read that the meek are
gonna get a crown someday/I took it in, a little stuck, a little
faded away/I think about You and I just can’t get You out of my
mind/I’m so deep in Your love people tell me that I’m losing my
mind.”
So begins the new self-titled album by former Grammatrain lead
singer Pete Stewart. Combine those in your face lyrics from “Out Of
My Mind” with the grinding guitars that open and close the song and
you have a powerful first statement. Would that the whole album
stood out as much.
But, oddly enough, the strength of that first song is the
weakness of the album. With few exceptions Stewart’s first solo
effort sounds like – well there’s no other way to say it – it
sounds like dcTalk. Which should not be a huge surprise as two of
the three dcTalkers (Michael Tait and Toby McKeehan) were involved
in creating this project with Tait signing on as co-producer with
Stewart.
In addition to producing, Tait co-wrote most of the songs, sings
backup vocals throughout and duets on “Uphill Battle”. McKeehan
provided some songwriting assistance and took some photos for the
CD booklet.
Still,
Pete Stewart is much more accessible than Stewart’s earlier
work with Grammatrain. There’s a great alternative-pop sound to the
disc, sort of like — aw heck, there it is again – sort of like
dcTalk.
Stewart shows some promise of his own on two notable tracks
“Worship Song” and “Waiting For The Son.” He wrote the words and
music himself and both are beautiful examples of rock and roll
worship music.
“Worship Song” is a simple vocal and acoustic guitar (with some
strings thrown in) song that could hit it big around campfires at
Youth Camps all summer long. It emphasizes depending on God during
times of struggle.
“In the storms that blow across my life/I will call upon Your
name/From the depths of valleys in my mind/I will call upon Your
name/You lift me up so high where my voice fills the sky/High above
the heavens/You fill my soul with peace and deliver me/And I will
call upon Your name”
In “Waiting For The Son,” Stewart becomes almost a
jack-of-all-trades. In addition to lead and background vocals, he
handles the piano, guitar and bass duties as well. Chad Chapin adds
the percussion, while Tait contributes some background and the Love
Sponge Orchestra adds some tantalizing strings.
These two songs stand out the most because it seems Stewart
isn’t trying so hard to impress – but impress he does.
“It’s sometimes hard but I believe/You are the air my soul
breathes/I sometimes fail but You are there/In You I lose all my
cares/Underneath the stars and sky I wait for You to come/Like the
morning waiting for the Son”
The song is about the utter dependence believers have in Jesus
Christ and how sometimes all we can do is wait upon the Lord with
our prayers. It’s a beautiful testimony about learning to trust
God.
This initial solo project will succeed. It’s clearly tailored to
do so. But, to become truly successful, Stewart needs to move
forward with finding his own voice. He clearly has the chops,
vocally and on guitar, for the work, now all he needs is the
vision.