Music Review: Music Inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia - Various Artists

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Great songs inspired by the story
Cons: Jarring styles don't always work
The Bottom Line:
Various styles
Around a Narnia theme
Inspire, challenge




Songs Inspired by the First Narnia Story

I have been a fan of the Chronicles of Narnia since I found the series in third grade. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is by far my favorite book in the series. (And you can tell what I think of the reordering by how I referred to it in the title.)  As such, when the movie came out in 2005, I spent lots of time following anything I could about it.

When I saw this CD, I had to get it. On it, a group of Christian artists have written and recorded songs inspired by the story. It was released several months early to help peek interest in the film.

The songs are mostly good. They require knowledge of the story to fully appreciate, however. For example, Nichole Norderman's excellent summary of Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy will be lost on newbies as will all of TobyMac's song.

For those who do know the story, it will be lots of fun finding the references to events in the various songs. Some, like "Turkish Delight" will be rather obvious, but Steven Curtis Chapman and Bethany Dillon hide the meaning a little more. Bethany's song, "Hero" goes the farthest in tying the book into Christianity, but Chris Tomlin does a good job of this as well.

The drawback to this album is the various styles. As you might imagine, Steven Curtis Chapman, Rebecca St. James, and TobyMac all on the same CD creates some jarring moments. This CD has something for everyone, but it also has something everyone will hate. For me, the biggest problem is Toby's hip-hop. I will never be a fan of his music no matter how hard I try. I'm much more comfortable with the light rock of Jars of Clay or the adult contemporary of Steven Curtis Chapman and Nichole Nordeman. To be honest, many of these artists have surprised me by creating songs I wouldn't normally listen to but enjoy. I especially love David Crowder*Band's "Turkish Delight" with its infection rhythm and catchy lyrics. And the parallel it draws between Edmund's addiction to Turkish Delight and my own love of sin is still convicting.

This CD was never big at the time, but I still enjoy listening to it.  If you love Narnia, track down a copy and give it a whirl.