The first time I heard Adie sing, a thunderous wave of sound practically blasted the hat off my head.
At that time, she was known as Adrienne Liesching and part of hard-rocking band the Benjamin Gate. Now, she’s Adie Camp, wife of singer Jeremy Camp and mother of Isabella and Arianne. She’s also turned down the amp a few notches for her first solo CD, titled “Don’t Wait.”
Those expecting to be swept away by a sonic tsunami are going to be surprised by “Don’t Wait.” However, those seeking to dive into something deep and peaceful will be quite pleased.
“I wanted to do something completely different from the Benjamin Gate,” Camp said. “… I thought it would be so nice to do something mellow, really summery. … Also I wanted there to be a lot more worship.”
The disc opens with the upbeat “Your Way,” which expresses the desire to follow where God leads. The sweetly melodic “Don’t Wait” advocates acting in the moment to have an eternal impact. It wraps up with a cover of “Turn, Turn, Turn” by The Byrds, which declares there’s a time for every activity under heaven. This excellent track hints at the edgier possibilities that might appear in Camp’s future efforts.
Although Aide drops in a few rock accents, the bulk of the CD is light and airy. Some of the tracks are stripped down to the basics, perhaps to the best effect in “What Have I Done.” The simple piano accompaniment and soft background vocals give prominence to the message that God loves people no matter what they’ve done.
Its musical style is radically different from that created by Camp’s previous band. The Benjamin Gate’s music was assertive musically, as well as lyrically
“With the Benjamin gate, whatever we did our goal was to put as much emotion and expression into it,” Camp said.
“Creatively, we always wanted to be different. … On the lyrical side, we wanted to share with people what the Lord had done in our lives,” she said.
In 2003, Adie left the band and married Christian rocker Jeremy Camp, whose first wife, Melissa, had died of cancer several years earlier.
“Honestly, when I left the Benjamin Gate, I thought I was totally done with music. … I didn’t feel anything in my heart at all toward music,” she said.
One day, though, Camp felt the music flowing again. Shortly thereafter Jeremy happened to bring up the topic. “Don’t Wait” is the result.
It’s easy to see the sources of Camp’s inspiration. “I’m so blown away by my husband, realizing how much the Lord loves me … being able to see God’s love in a new life. … I feel like my walk with the Lord has had a lot more depth.”
While the Benjamin Gate was certainly assertive in proclaiming their faith, musical creativity would sometimes overshadow the message a bit. Now, Camp said her goal is simple: “Trying to share eternity with people and my walk with the Lord.”
After touring with her husband this fall, Camp plans to turn her attention to a follow-up disc. Next time, though, expect it to rock.
On the Web: www.adiecamp.com
‘Top of My Lungs’Phillips, Craig & Dean’s new release, “Top of My Lungs,” has a tough act to follow — a popular trilogy that captured the essence of contemporary worship.
The new disc from Randy Phillips, Shawn Craig and Dan Dean is a little more diverse musically and thematically. Although many of the tracks lean toward acoustic guitars, pianos and strings, rock edges its way into a few of the songs. In fact the disc opens with the upbeat and catchy “One Way,” which proclaims devotion to Jesus. But things quickly settle down with “Your Name” and the title track, which start off softly but build into full-throated praise. The pop-oriented “Let the Redeemed” explores forgiveness. The upbeat “For You Glory” echoes Ecclesiastes in saying that there’s a time for everything — but it’s always time for God. The disc wraps up with a very satisfying version of the old hymn “Tis So Sweet.”
While most of the tracks are pleasant, encouraging and enjoyable, there is none that really grabs the listener until the end — and that’s one that’s already stood the test of time.
On the Web: www.phillipscraiganddean.com
Today's Praise is a roundup of news and reviews from the contemporary Christian music industry.
