CD Review: Help is On the Way (Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver)
Rating: 3.5 (of 5)
Average Song Rating: 3.8 (of 5)
Song List: I Know, I Know; Help is On the Way; Eternity Has Two; One of These Days; Truly God is Love; Land of the Dying; I Won’t Have to Worry Anymore; When the Hand of God Comes Down; The Black Sheep Returns to the Fold; I’m the Clay in Your Hands; Press On, O Pilgrim, There is Joy Ahead; What Shall I Do With Jesus; He Made it All Right; Keep Your Eyes on Jesus.
Available From: Artist, Crossroads, Amazon, CBD.
***
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver is a rare example of a group that manages to enjoy success concurrently in Southern Gospel and another genre without alienating many fans in either genre. They alternate Bluegrass and Bluegrass Gospel releases, releasing their Bluegrass Gospel releases to the Southern Gospel via Crossroads Records.
This project gained some notice when its title track went to #1 on the September 2008 Singing News radio airplay charts (subscribers-only link here). Oddly enough, with the song being the group’s first #1, it’s not even the best track on the project. “One of These Days,” “When the Hand of God Comes Down,” and “Press On, O Pilgrim, There is Joy Ahead” are outstanding uptempo numbers that would be termed “convention songs” under different arrangements. “Press On, O Pilgrim, There is Joy Ahead,” in particular, is a song that a traditional group like the Dixie Echoes, Inspirations, or the Blackwood Brothers could adapt easily to their style.
Among the project’s slower tracks, the most memorable lyric comes from “Eternity Has Two”: “Life has many options / Eternity has two.” It’s the sort of lyric and melody that stick in your mind for days, even after only hearing the song once or twice.
This album is an enjoyable mixture of new and classic Gospel songs performed in a Bluegrass style. Despite posts like these two, I see no reason why fans of traditional convention-song quartet singing would dislike Quicksilver. In fact, their vocal arrangements are much closer that style than many of today’s top groups.
I think it’s just fascinating to watch how people...