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What do you get when you blend Biblical texts, edgy alternative country-rock, a Celtic-influenced fiddle player, and layered vocal harmonies? I'm not sure either, but that's exactly what the Russ Rosen Band delivers on their debut album, Oil.

The quality of this album is the biggest surprise. It quite simply looks and sounds like a  big-label effort, from the packaging to the performance to the overall sound of the mix. It is hard to believe that the Russ Rosen Band is not on a big label, or even on a well-respected independent label. Producer Alan Shacklock has done a good job at enhancing the basic acoustic guitar (Russ Rosen), keyboards (Sandy Rosen) and violin (Kathleen Nisbet) of the trio that is the Russ Rosen Band with a solid rhythm section. On most of the tracks, the album just would not have had the same punch without the additional players.

The songs were composed over a stretch of 10 years, dating from 1992 to 2001, yet come together as a coherent package of music. There is an exuberant, sometimes even aggressive, tone to the songs which revel in God's grace and deliverance. A strong example of this is the opening song, "Watchmen":

Come, come
Climbing up the slopes of Zion
No more tears, no more cryin'
Come, come
We're comin' back with shouts of joy
Coming back, shouting for joy
God has blessed us
Heaven smiled, we're bringing with us
Grain, new wine, and oil

The song "Warriors" could be best described as heavy Celtic, as overdriven guitars and harsh, throaty vocals ask for God's holy fire to "Drench the nation/With Your cleansing tide."

The vocal styles are partly what set this band apart. Russ Rosen's vocals are distinctly gritty, a little like Phil Madeira, and provide a nice counterpoint to Sandy Rosen's soprano ("Stand") and Kathleen Nisbet's strong alto ("Down To The River"). "Down To The River" is a laid-back 50's-styled rocker, which gives just enough diversity to the album to keep the listener from being too overwhelmed with the heavier tone of the other songs.

Very rarely does an album grab my interest every time I listen to it; this one does.  Whatever the particulars of this sonic combination are, the result is a joyous celebration of God and His working in the lives of His people, and an album that deserves much wider listening than it is likely to get as an independent. If they keep making albums like this, the Russ Rosen Band has a bright future indeed.

Alex Klages 8/18/2002