Saturday, February 12, 2011

REVIEW: Mindy Hartman "Speak To Me Now: A Journey"

The very best of gospel and sacred music is borne not merely of creative inspiration, but of personal experience in one’s relationship to God.  The realization of His existence, salvation and purpose for humanity, and individuals, serves as a point of origin for getting to know, love and serve Him.  And so it is with Chambersburg, PA native Mindy Hartman.  Having become a follower of Christ upon her conversion at the age of fourteen, she became involved in music ministry in her local church.  During this time, she studied and trained under professional voice teachers to develop her gift and enable her to pursue her passion through music.  In addition, Hartman participated in the glee club at her high school and also discovered an interest in reciting poetry and prose, even going on to compete in a national tournament in her senior year.  In the fall of 1994, she joined Living Miracles, a young people’s choir directed by Doris Ortman, and continued with the choir until it disbanded ten years later.  Aside from singing, Hartman began to further explore opportunities to use her reading and recitation skills and thus became involved in narration and the recording of audio books.  While this considerable background of learning, growth and experience are foundational, it only tells part of the story of how Speak to Me Now: A Journey, her debut recording, came to be.

A fascinating and relevant point of consideration is that Hartman is blind from birth, and her blindness influences her perspective as a person, as a Christian, and as a singer.  Further, it was tragedy that God used to guide and encourage her to use her talents and gifts to honor Him and bless others.  Hartman’s seventeen year old brother Aaron died in an automobile accident just months before the September 11, 2001 attacks.  The fruits of her experiences, both good and bad, positively inform and influence the fifteen tracks that make up her faith-affirming debut.

Primarily a collaborative effort between Hartman and keyboardist Duncan Holmes, Speak to Me Now: A Journey is characterized by genuine expressions of quiet devotion and reflection.  The selections on the album are an effective combination of Holmes compositions and traditional hymns, each chosen with apparent consideration for the general theme.  Perhaps to complement the devotional and personal nature of the songs, Hartman’s voice was recorded dry, with no apparent enhancements.  For listeners, this may be slightly off-putting, but once the first few songs settle in, any distraction this may present, fades away.

The Holmes original, “In My Mother’s Womb” seems to be influenced by a combination of English folk  and Hebrew music, with what sounds like harpsichord and piano accompaniment.  Her alto is pleasing on the ears, and the harmonies on the chorus offer nice emphasis, though she tends to cut her syllables short, giving the song a narrative quality.  The title track, a simple and soothing prayer of yearning and commitment, while sincere in its message expressed unto God, falls short in terms of musical originality.  “Speak to Me Now” has a predictable flow in term of chord changes, and may have benefited from different musical choices.  Still, from a lyrical and vocal standpoint, it’s serviceable and does display Hartman’s warm and pure alto rather nicely.

The “The Master Has Come,” with its Welsh melody and challenging cadence, proves to be difficult for Hartman to squeeze in all of the words while having time to breathe.  In all fairness, this is one of those hymns that is generally not easy to sing, but it might have been advantageous for Holmes to slow the tempo down a bit. The great Irish hymn, “Be Thou My Vision,” similar in structure and its sheer lyrical fullness, is more successful.  Generally, Hartman handles the vocal phrasing quite well, but still, it’s quite a pace to keep up with.  Triumphant-sounding synthesizer chords and organ add to what begins with simply piano and vocals.
Hartman, with a delivery combining singing and speaking, comes across with self-effacing honesty as she shares the struggles of walking the road of faith on “Introspection.”  Her mood moves from voicing complaints about these challenges, including dealing with her own weaknesses, to endeavoring to trust in the Lord and His sacrifice.  Though the honesty and integrity of the message is not lost, Hartman’s sing-speak style is a bit awkward.

On “Trust and Obey,” rendered in simple a cappella harmony, the vocals are straightforward, allowing the lyrics to shine through.  “Lord God, Why Did You Choose Me” brings a refreshing musical change with its traditional gospel chord structure and tasteful and heartening accompaniment by Holmes on piano and string bass.  In addition, Holmes, possessing an earthy baritone voice, adds interesting contrast to Hartman’s alto.  Unfortunately, the combination of the two voices, aforementioned sing-speak delivery, and production doesn’t quite mesh.

When on “He Keeps Me Singing,” Hartman sings “All my life was wrecked by sin and strife / Discord filled my heart with pain / Jesus swept across the broken strings / Stirred the slumbering chords again,” there is a sense of personal connection with suffering and God’s redemption.  The combination of Holmes’ bouncy piano and Hartman’s ebullient vocals, subtly shifting to reflect sorrow and joy, represents a highlight on the album.  Likewise, the hymn “Oh Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go” is also a gem as it receives Holmes’ reverent and inspired piano treatment, providing the ideal backing for Hartman’s pledge to loyalty to the Lord.  The slower tempo revealed here, seems to be ideally suited and allows the strength of the music and the meaningfulness of the lyrics to come through.

“He’s My All in All” reflects Hartman’s passion for narration and storytelling with it’s biblical references to God’s faithfulness.  Effectively, she ties in these biblical accounts with her own life thereby making the song personal, while also emphasizing the practical application of scripture.  When Hartman sings “He’s a Father to the fatherless and I’ll tell you right now / He’s a husband for the woman who that’s alone / He’s a comfort to the comfortless / He binds the broken heart / He’s the kindest, truest friend I’ve even known,” it is comforting.  Considering Hartman’s blindness, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” takes on deeper meaning as the encouraging lyrics point to the kind of seeing that is by faith and of the heart.

Mindy Hartman is clearly a singer whose purpose is not to perform, but to minister, and that intent is unmistakable as evidenced by the choice of songs and the way in which they are presented. Though there are a few weak spots, Speak to Me Now: A Journey will certainly reward the listener in search of simple, sincere and uncluttered songs of faith, worship, loyalty and devotion.
Review by Mike Roots
Rating: 3 Stars (out of 5)

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