Still Waters
Artist: Say-So
Label: Organic Records
Time: 12 tracks/ 43:26 min.
Poet, painter, and author Kim Thomas is a Christian multimedia artist in the best sense of these terms. Instead of figuring out how to maximize the bells and whistles on a desktop computer, she refuses to be confined to an easily definable box. In partnership with her husband Jim, her most visible effort is their duo Say-So, where firmly woven lyrical thickets gain color and motion from rock settings as contemporary as this year's flower garden.
This mature couple's second major release is another solid listen thanks to a host of backing musicians, drummer Dan Needham's never failing beats, and sensitive direction by producer Jerry McPherson. The accompaniments are so well executed that it's easy to forget that Say-So is just a husband and wife duo--especially when the guitars begin to soar on "Job's Mile," "Perfect Love," and "Remains of the Day," or an accordion adds a rollicking backdrop for a spoken poem about a day in the park in "Souvenirs." This ensemble even executes a near-perfect homage to John Lennon on "In Between."
Like Kim Thomas's painting and poetry, few of these songs will be certified as masterpieces by future generations. The topics are easily forgettable, but the thoughts are conveyed in lovely, artistic ways. By freely taking the risk of offering her best to the marketplace she is well on her way to greatness, and this project's playful use of color, shape, adjective, noun, and rhyme elevate it from average to artistry.
Linda T. Stonehocker (5/23/99)
