A Spy Like Me
Artist: Jonathan
Day
Label: UK indie
Length: 13 tracks (12 songs)/48:46
This album will never make it big in "Christian music." Putting
aside the fact that it is a limited edition release, the use of a certain
expletive beginning with 'f' will ensure that. But then, Jonathan Day has
never been one to allow anyone else to dictate what he does in his music.
Beneath the hand-written sleeve lies a CD full of folky melodies
and interesting instrumentation (a mix of traditional British instruments,
some electronic boxes of tricks, and some sounds from further away). Day's
rich voice soars across his melodies and lyrics in a far more fluent way
than his live set at Greenbelt suggested.
The phrase "Songs from the mountains and desert beneath the sheltering
sky," written in gold and silver ink inside the sleeve, gives some clue
as to lyrical content. The lyrics can draw pictures of broad landscapes
while telling several stories, similar in many ways to traditional folk
songs.
As independent recordings go, this one is impressive. Its range
of instrumentation and the wide stream from which the imagery is drawn
provide much interesting variety. This one will probably prove near impossible
to find, but if it sounds intriguing then it is probably worth trying to
track down.
By James Stewart (9/18/98)
