Music Review: Angels of Mercy by Susan Ashton

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: 10 strong songs that entertain and make you think.

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

90's pop with heart

Entertains and makes you think

Still enjoy today

The Highlight of Susan's Career

You know how sometimes music can capture a moment in your life? That's the case with Susan Ashton's Angels of Mercy. Even though it came out in 1992, I didn't get it until the summer of 1994. I listened to it almost non-stop that summer. To this day, when I stick it in, I am on my way to my summer job. Fortunately, it was a very good time in my life, because this CD is still a great release.

Susan Ashton had a short career during the 90's. After a huge debut, she released this disc, which in my mind is even stronger.

Susan is first a foremost a singer. Which explains why she only has songwriting credits on one of the tracks. If it is any indication of what she could do, she should have written more of them. "Here is My Heart" is a great reminder that God has everything we are searching for in life. The CD is a mix of pop, rock, with bits of Susan's Country influence showing, and that's evident right from the start. Of course, it helps that this song opens with acoustic guitar and Susan's voice. Once we get to the chorus, drums and background vocals come in.

I always associate Susan with new takes on the familiar. Several of those songs are included on this disc. "Grand Canyon," for example, describes the distance that we can allow to build between us and God. Granted, this isn't a terribly original metaphor, but I still like it.

Another in this genre is "Alice in Wonderland." I fell in love with this song based solely on the title. Fortunately, it lived up to the title. The song is about a woman named Alice who tries to pretend that Christians never experience problems. It makes a solid point in a very fun way. It's on the slow side with guitar the main focus, but you can hear cymbals in there with the other percussion instruments.

While I love all of these tracks, one that stands out to me is "Innocence Lost." It's a ballad that discusses not only the pain of growing up but the way we can turn cynical and stubborn if we aren't careful. While guitar is the main focus yet again, there is a strong violin presence. There are no background vocals on this song, and listening to Susan's voice sing these thoughts alone makes things more powerful for me.

There are a couple songs on here that deal with Christians being too judgmental. The first is "Better Angels of Our Nature," which provided the title of the CD. It's another ballad that shares a couple pictures of people in need who are being shown no mercy, from a man trying to repent to a woman in need of daily help. What I like about the song is that it's not overly harsh but includes the singer in the guilty who aren't showing true compassion. While it again starts with guitar, this time in includes mandolin when things get going.

The other song along these lines is one of the few truly upbeat tracks on the disc. "Started s a Whisper" starts right out with drums and guitar. It shares the story of a pregnant teen who goes to a church looking for some help and is instead met by gossip and "cold hellos." It's a rather sober reminder for me and makes me think about how I treat others.

What sounds like a banjo opens "When Are You Coming Back." Since I don't see a banjo listed in the credits, I have to assume it's the ever present guitar. The song's upbeat nature belies a real expression of hurt as Susan looks at the pain in the world and longs for Jesus to return.

I've always loved the images of "Walk on By," which paints a good word picture of temptation and the results of giving in to it. It's got a fun pop beat, which doesn't hurt matters any either.

I'll admit, the final track needed some time to grow on me. "Let Me Go" is a quiet plea to allow a new adult to grow and make their own mistakes. It's just Susan and guitar, bass, and keyboard here, although the guitar makes up most of the instrumentals.

Unfortunately, Susan's career died by the end of the 90's. While I would love to hear more music from her, at least I have the musical memories from Angels of Mercy.

CD Length: 42:34

Tracks:

1. Here in My Heart

2. Grand Canyon

3. Better Angels of Our Nature

4. Hunger and Thirst

5. Innocence Lost

6. Started as a Whisper

7. Alice in Wonderland

8. When are You Coming Back

9. Walk on By

10. Let Me Go