CD Review: “Harmonies for the Heart” (Standing By)
Last week, we had quite a discussion over whether reviews by local groups should be featured on this blog. I am working on an idea I hope will satisfy most readers. In the meantime, before I finalize that post, I have a little bit of unfinished business. Before I made last week’s post, I had agreed to listen to and review Harmonies for the Heart, a project by Standing By, a duo based in Spencer, Indiana. The group is composed of Dave Miller (lead/bass guitar), Bruce Yates (baritone), and Yates’ wife Lynn (piano).
The project’s instrumentation is rather unusual for the modern Southern Gospel genre, consisting solely of piano and bass guitar (except on “Where No One Stands Alone,” which adds synthesized strings). The project features eleven familiar Southern Gospel songs, “He Set Me Free,” “Since Jesus Passed By,” “Where Could I Go,” “Boundless Love,” “Oh What a Savior,” “What a Day That Will Be,” “Where No One Stands Alone,” “Goodbye World Goodbye,” “He Loves Me,” “Lighthouse,” and “Sweet Sweet Spirit.”
The duo sings the lead and baritone parts on most songs, but on two of the project’s most interesting tracks, “Boundless Love” and “Oh What a Savior,” they move one part up to sing lead and tenor.
Probably the best move this group could make would be to add a third musical part. But even without a third part, the project is an enjoyable collection of familiar songs.
Rating: Enjoyable
