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  Cherie
Call has done it again! She's come up with an album as striking
as a comet in the night sky, and as beautiful as any night sky full
of stars. This latest constellation of well-written songs, Beneath
These Stars, is sure to please.
'Faith
to Find the Answers.' The first song begins with the line 'I've
been looking through windows, and see the night sky', and what more
appropriate line to begin this album with. Also it's about having
faith to find the answers, you just know they are out there like
the stars in the sky. It's arrangement is a nice mixture of keyboards
and guitar with soft percussion.
The
next song, 'Holding On', has already proven to be a favorite of
many and is more pop-based, sounding similar to the first song but
is slightly more upbeat. The melody will get you every time and
the words will grab you if that doesn't. The arrangement is similar
to the first song, but simpler. Great harmony vocals later in the
song in the chorus.
'Family
Tree.' This song is more acoustic than the first through and has
a slower tempo. The lyrics are deeper feeling than the first two,
comparing the damaged tree by the house to the lives of family members
damaged by the trials and troubles of life and giving hope that
God and Christ's Atonement can heal the family tree just like a
tree can regrow branches after old ones have been broken. The arrangement
is largely for piano and cello with some other strings behind that.
'Heaven.'
This song is typical of Cherie's sound at a live show as far as
her guitar playing. She has a soft touch to playing the guitar,
and that's not bad, in fact, it matches her soft, calming voice.
If you get the chance to hear her in person you'll see this. Great
arrangement and melody. 'Heaven' also has a slight country feel
to it. Her guitar is backed up with piano, bass, some light drums,
and features a second guitar as a solo. You will like the soft,
bright words to this as well. To borrow from a 1974 Ohio Players
song's lyrics, then, 'Could heaven be like this?'
'Only
Love.' After beginning unauspiciously, this song hits you with its
message right off. I think Cherie is talking about her recent marriage
in this song and how love grows between two people. Simple arrangement
of drums and percussion, a different guitar sound, and an interesting
melodic pattern make this one an interesting song indeed.
'He.'
This one is very simple, vocals, guitar, and bass. A song about
fathers, especially hers. Need I say more? The song speaks for itself.
'Names.'
A praise song about God. Dallin Oaks has said we should praise our
Heavenly Father more in our prayers, so why not in music? This is
one of the best songs about God written in some time. And about
the grace he grants us from day to day to be able to do the things
we do in life. Interesting title for this one, it really makes one
think, it may well be Cherie was thinking about the attributes of
God as given in his various names as found in scripture.
'No.'
Another simple song with just her voice and guitar. A song about
growing up and growing throughout life. The last verse is about
prayer.
'Delivery.'
This song is about adoption, from the perspective of a birth mother
in the first verse, and the adopting parents in the next. Very well
done. The instrumental arrangement fits the lyrics, being a small
orchestral string ensemble. (Probably not a string quartet but sounding
more like a slightly larger group.) The last verse is about Jesus,
Mary, and Joseph, and also about grace, and about how they took
care of the Christ in his early years, like the adopted parents
of the child in the second verse--listen to the last line.
'She.'
A song about a beautiful woman, like the women you see everyday.
While it doesn't mention it, it makes clear to any woman that she
doesn't have to have all her 'ducks in a row' to be a beautiful
woman in anyone else's eyes or to be a great mother. A beautiful
arrangement of voice and guitar--from the heart of a woman who is
beautiful herself.
'I
Will Never Leave Him.' This last of the original songs on this album
is about the Atonement. That is apparent from the title and the
line about 'He paid the highest price for me'. Also about one's
commitment not to give up on the promises of Christ's Atonement.
The arrangement fits the sacred subject, being for piano and strings.
'Holding
On' (Acoustic version). This is an acoustic arrangement of 'Holding
On.' Voice and solo piano. Gives a whole new feeling to this song.
The
engineering is very good. Some nice touches in panning the instruments,
and good warmth to the vocals added regardless of where it may have
been recorded or with what equipment. There was a minor glitch with
the CD itself, there were some slight pops and clicks between tracks,
but those did not appear in the tracks themselves--only between
them but not interfering with the listening experience.
I rate
this album 4 stars out of 5.
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James
Anderson
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