In a world where we are surrounded by messages loudly demanding our attention, sometimes the subtle approach is the best way to get it. Genie and Troy Nilsson demonstrate the power of the subtle approach with their aptly-titled album Whisper.
The 16 tracks feature Genie Nilsson's smooth, ethereal vocals layered over synthesizers and guitar effects. These songs are not meant to shake the listener up, emotionally or otherwise. Prior to Whisper, the Nilssons had recorded a series of lullabye CDs called Angels All Around. The response from parents who bought the albums encouraged the Nilssons to record a project for a more mature audience. Whisper combines several remixes of songs from the Angels All Around series with some newer material.
The music is of a style that might be labelled "ambient" or even
"new age," though the latter is a label the Nilssons shun, preferring
their own label, "heaven music." For the most part, the instruments
create
atmosphere by layering sounds rather than playing particular rhythms
or musical phrases. The tempos are pretty slow, with the title track
being the most notable exception. The songs focus more on sound than
words: several songs contain very little in the way of lyrics, yet the
shortest track on the album runs 3:36.
As songwriters, the Nilssons are content to rely on traditional lyrics rather than break new ground. The strongest songs on the album are taken from Scripture or traditional hymns: the settings of "All Creatures of Our God and King" and "Be Thou My Vision" are two of the better songs on the album. Indeed, the songs in which the Nilssons attempt to paraphrase rather than quote are not as strong. "I Am So Small," for example, has its roots in Psalm 8 and its heart in the right place, but seems to imply that God has a humanlike limit on His attention span.
Clearly these songs are meant to comfort, rather than challenge, the listener. The atmosphere created by the music is nice and serene. The lyrics are familiar and reassuring. Troy and Genie Nilsson's "heaven music" makes for a fine end-of-the-day, relax-and-unwind kind of album.
By Chris Parks (10/12/98)
