@echo: Chair and Microphone, Vol. 2

I don't actively seek out new worship music like I do other music. It usually has to be birthed in me either by a glimpse on the radio or at church or by a friend saying I should check this out. But then once it is in it's in [like the robbie seay band I accidentally found as they opened for shane and shane]. The one exception to this is anything Enter the Worship Circle does. I was led to "them" by waterdeep who co-wrote the songs on the First Circle. Acoustic guitars, djembes, a collaboration, usually simple and in my opinion not cheezy songs... what more could I ask for? When I hear that a new album is coming out I feel like a school girl [a Christian school girl of course] and will even delay buying the record a little to appreciate it more.

Chair and Microphone is an extension of ETWC and features one artist, one vocal, one guitar track, recorded on one take. Ben Pasely did the first volume and rocked my socks off [Five Wise Virgins is from him and his wife, robin, and was part of me starting to understand Christ as Bridegroom.] I was just a tinge hesitant about the second volume because I enjoy Ben's style so much that who can compete (if one can even use that word for worship albums). However Aaron Strumpel [listen on myspace] does a fantastic job as he displays his heart and talents to the world and God.

There is a full range of expression in Aarons writing from complaint, sorrow, and neediness to proclamation, joy, and thanksgiving -- and always with a sense of hope [props on some anthropomorphisms also "you [God] should have been scared when you breathed into me"]. His voice is in a nice range, even when he strains with emotions and isn't clean-cut which I like. And there are so many simple one liners that hit you out of no where. Instumentally the album takes a chance in placing some alternative tunings on a few of the tracks... on one side of the coin it provides some texture and creativity, on the other side not everyone wants to fumble around back and forth between standard and an open G tuning for worship. Oh, did I mention chord charts? One of the most convenient things that the ETWC community does for the musical worshipper is post their chords in PDF format. Also check out Luke Flowers who does the art for the Chair & Mic volumes.

My top three tracks: [8]Dove reminds us that Jesus isn't afraid of us and convicts that we are not to be so far removed from the world (the whole in but not of thing) as to not love those who need it the most; [1]Sticken recalls the love of Christ on the cross; [9]How Great is a mixture of hymn and love letter.

my hope is not beyond the tears that you bleed
it's You who burns me from my head to my heart
it's You who loves me when I'm stubborn and I'm hard
How great Thou art

stricken and afflicted with a crown of thorns
and I won't forget what You did today
and I won't forget how You died today
today You've loved me more than anyone has ever loved me

I want to know a person like You
who's not afraid to love the wicked and the poor
I want to know a person like You
who's not afraid to touch the wicked and the whore