Alli Rogers (An Album Review)
It’s not her fault and it’s not necessarily a bad thing but Alli Rogers, on her third album You and the Evening Sky, is going to be compared to Sara Groves quite a bit. After all, both play folky-rock with insightful, spiritual and often poetic lyrics and have been blessed with great voices. Comparisons in music reviews are both helpful and limiting. They give us an immediate context but they can also hinder our objectivity if we don’t care for the artist to whom the comparison points.
Though Rogers is perhaps orbiting in the same circles as Groves, she is her own artist. Produced by Don Chaffer, You and the Evening Sky continues Rogers’ path of identifying what sets her apart. Chaffer’s production is thoughtful, creative and never overbearing. He adds warmth, texture and cohesion while never losing sight of the fact that Rogers is a singer/songwriter so the vocals and lyrics are always upfront. Fans of Waterdeep will hear hints of Chaffer’s own musical personality but this is not a Waterdeep record.
Lyrically, Rogers draws the thread of faith through everyday life (”there’s the old cherry treas and the neighbor who knows every grandchild’s name even sewed them some clothes for Christmas. You remember that Christmas” from “The Things We Can and Cannot Keep”), examining many of life’s turns through the lens of faith without beating you over the head with an agenda.
Musically, the album falls somewhere between Waterdeep’s more straight-ahead moments and Sara Groves’ more musical ones. There’s nothing showy but then again, there doesn’t need to be. Rogers has a strong but accessible voice and uses it wisely. She understands that her voice is the focal point but not the spotlight (if that makes sense). This is a solid effort that has grown on me with each repeated listen.
- Visit Alli Rogers’ official website
Posted in Music Reviews
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:25 am
Missy and I heard her recently with Bebo Norman and Shane and Shane. She was quite good. Her songs were very stripped down but extremely beautiful. She had one song called “Tanzania” that just really got to us. We went to the sales table she had set up. She was the opening act so she really did not get to sing very much. What we did hear impressed us. You could buy a bundle of all of her music. It was like three or four cd’s. It was really kind of an impulse buy but one that has really blessed our hearts. Thanks Brent for giving her some exposure here.