Symphony In Red
Self-titled.
Devotion Music
11 tracks @ 46:57

Symphony In Red is described as an all-start collaboration. Billy Smiley is the founder of Symphony In Red and also a co-founder of White Heart. On this project, Smiley hopes to “create a new hymnal for a new generation, and we want our songs to reach the church in a new and exciting way.” On this record that means instead of using a 500-pipe pipe organ, you use keyboards and guitars.

I would like to give them credit for bringing new live to the so-called classic hymns, but it’s not always easy.

“I Love You Lord” opens with guitar bombast then shifts 180-degrees to solitude and a piano but returns to bombast in the musical bridge. The song sticks out a bit like a sore thumb.

“Yahweh” isn’t a classic hymn but a cover of the recent U2 song. I haven’t read how Bono describes this song (check out the interview with Bono in the current issue of Rolling Stone magazine) but in the linear notes for SIR it says Yahweh is “a postmodern hymn of the future.” This version doesn’t stray far from the original and thus is nothing special.

“Doxology” is a little over-produced for my taste but I did like the chant-like repetition of the word “holy” in this song. “From All That Dwells” has an interesting Clash-like cascade of guitars in the opening.

“You Alone” has some excellent information in the linear notes, especially on the reason for living in the face of tragedy. I learned something there. The arrangements for “Spirit of the Living God” and “May Jesus Christ Be Praised” hold lots of promise. I especially liked the reverential approach on the latter.

How you react to this record may depend more on personal taste in music than anything. You may want to visit SIR’s web site, which does have some music clips available. I did not, however, find any downloadable music charts.

http://www.devotionmusic.com

- Rob S.