Casting Crowns Altar And The Door CD

*Review As written in "Victory Music Review"Michael Merrifield: Butterfly Keep michaelmerrifield Many months ago, Michael sent off a CD he'd recorded of his songs to reviewers. His life had a few triumphs in it after some very difficult years, and there was a certain sense of celebration in pursuing his desire to be a singer-songwriter. The CD, though, was a diamond in the rough. It needed the distance and objectivity a producer can provide, and the support of one or two accomplished musicians. That, in fact, is what this reviewer had to say about it and Michael, responding to the review, laid low for a time, healing a few wounds. Then he went about creating his CD once again, this time calling on none other than Orville Johnson to provide various instrumental textures and, crucially, to produce the project. (Talk about getting it right!) Orville played all guitars, bass, mandolin, banjo, percussion and omnichord (hey, I don't know either); and called on Jee Wong for a few piano parts and the legendary Jami Sieber for a few cello parts. Orville and Michael-with Matthew Gephart recording and mixing and Ross Nyberg mastering-fashioned a gentle, whimsical, inventive, highly poetic gem of a recording. There is something undeniably childlike about Merrifield's near-whisper of a voice; it is as if Donovan had finally mastered the art of conveying a hard-won, lasting sense of innocence. The melodies are simple and pleasing, yet the lyrics are often profoundly moving. "The time of life has come to pass,/ This sinking ...

For these songs, I always began minimally, with just a guitar or uke, and added as little as possible to tip the song into the place it wanted ...