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Don’t tell anyone about this, but us Aussies got a preview of some of the new songs from Marianne Kesler’s latest CD when she visited our shores for the very first time at the beginning of this year.  (For those of you who don’t know, Marianne is an independent singer/songwriter/acoustic guitarist from Ohio in the United States. Check out her website at www.coolspirit.net .)

Some artists and bands seem to churn out CD after CD without a second thought (or so it seems).  Not so Marianne Kesler.  You have to wait a while with Marianne but it’s worth the wait because what you get each and every time is a distinctive album of new songs that Marianne has given the creative process time to develop and mature.  Every album that Marianne has released is unique (it’s never history repeating itself) and if you haven’t checked out her previous releases, then (as Australian music guru Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum puts it) ‘do yourself a favour’ and at least get your hot little hands on her previous Canopy of Blue (2000) and Long Road Home (2002) CD’s. 

On this, her fifth release, Marianne takes a more organic approach.  There is no ‘filler’ on this album – every song is brilliant.  Having said that, as a former radio announcer, the following songs to me are just crying out for airplay:- “Free Fall,” “Hard To Breathe,” “Green Room,” “Distraction,” and “Unrefined.”  The production is immaculate, the cover art and overall CD is beautifully packaged and presented.  Benjamin Kesler’s musical prowess and sensitivity is evident throughout.  Marianne’s voice is upfront but not dominant giving an overall intimate and organic feel to the project.

Lyrically, some of the issues Marianne addresses on this album are:- our human brokenness in relation to God, others, and the world around us, & how God uses the acknowledgment of our brokenness to bring healing and forgiveness (on the song ‘Broken’); self-image (on “So Beautiful”); waiting on God for His leading or the next stage in life (on “Green Room”); and being distracted from what really matters (on “Distraction”).

As a fitting finale to the album, Marianne Kesler closes with perhaps her first ever piano-based song called “Everything But This”– referring to the pursuit of everything apart from God’s love as really amounting to the vain pursuit of fool’s gold.

My only criticism (if you could call it that) of this CD is that it clocks in at 37 minutes & 42 seconds, leaving one yearning for more.  My thinking on this is that it’s far better to have a shorter album with every song on it a winner than a longer album with ‘filler’ tracks.

All I can say to my friends in the world of mainstream and Christian radio is Wake up to this! It’s huge!  Don’t neglect this CD just because it’s not on a ‘safe’, formulaic mainstream label.  This is a standout quality indie release.  As always, Marianne Kesler is true to her musical self.  Her lyrics as always are sheer poetry.

Frank Rasenberger   10/3/2004