Music Review: On the Blue by Joel Auge

Stars: 3 out of 3
Pros: Some very good tracks.

Cons: When the tracks aren't good, they really aren't good.

The Bottom Line:

Some tracks worth buying

But all of them aren't that good

Just buy tracks you like

I'm Not Blue I Bought This CD, But It Could be Better

A few months back I was reading a blog that highlighted Joel Auge's debut CD. A Canadian, Joel had been part of a band that never made it big here in the states. But his solo debut sounded interesting with its praise focus, so I went out and bought On the Blue.

Since then, I have been trying to decide just how I feel about the CD. There are some truly great songs on here. And there are some true losers.

Before we go much further, I should confess one thing. I'm not a big fan of many worship CD's. Some, by artists I already like, are great. But most of the time, I feel like the artist has a few good songs and the rest are filler that don't come close to measuring up. That's certainly the case here.

Stylistically, Joel sticks with an acoustic sound for this disc. It's heavy on the guitar. And it has plenty of slower almost ballad type numbers. Even when he speeds things up, it never sounds like an over produced rock band.

There are several songs on here I really like. "Even the Rocks" takes the idea of creation praising God if we don't and concludes "If even the rocks will sing it/I can bring it." Granted, it's not a new idea. But it has the full rock sound going. The drums have an infection beat. I get a smile on my face every time I hear it.

"I Am Here to Praise You" is a quiet song of commitment. Just Joel and his guitar, he promises to praise God during the trials of life. It's one of those songs that is easy to sing during the good times but much harder when actually faced with trials.

"Call on Me" is the only song written from God's point of view. While primarily a guitar song, it's got some fun effects in the background. And the reminder of God's promise to be with us during trials is encouraging.

Joel really shows off his range in the disc closer. "I Know My Place" allows him to go from low to an impressive falsetto as he sings of God's claim on his life no matter how far he wanders. The minor key gives the entire song a cool feel.

But my favorite track here by far is the title track. Part of that is because I identify with the lyrics. Joel spends the song wondering what would happen if he was invited to walk on the water like Peter was. But the other cool thing is the style. Or should I say change in style? The song features simple guitar picking on the verses. It sounds almost like a ballad. But as soon as he gets to the chorus, the tempo picks up to a mid tempo and keyboard and percussion chimes in. Then it's back to just guitar for the next verse. The changes really caught my ear the first time through, and I still love it.

So, obviously, there are some good songs here. But when things go wrong, they go definitely go wrong.

One sub-genre of praise music I have never cared for is what I have heard called the "Jesus is my girlfriend" style. Want an example? "Stolen it Away" is perfect. Joel spends the majority of the song asking to get his breath back because Jesus has stolen it away with His amazing love. Um, okay. Even "So Deep in Love" fits the category since the title of the song represents too many of the lyrics. That's a shame because I like this opening track. It's a mid tempo pop piece that gets things off to a great musical note.

Frankly, I have yet to figure out "Miracle Love." It starts out talking about our calling to praise God. So far, so good. But then it says, "So what can we do to move You?" Where did that come from and how does that relate to praise?

I must confess, I almost like "Singing Hallelujah" in spite of itself. Again, we've got a finger picked guitar, minor key song that sounds so cool. And the lyrics are talking about praising God despite the loss of our first love. So far, I'm with Joel one hundred percent. Then we get to the second verse:

"Children in the streets

Are playing hockey with their feet

And it's looking more like soccer to me now."

Then he goes back to his theme of praising God. Again, I have yet to figure out what those lines have to do with the rest of the song.

Maybe the problem is me. I have often missed the hidden meanings of some songs people think are brilliant. Maybe that's the case with these songs. But as it is, I find them distracting instead of worshipful.

Yes, I'm glad I bought On the Blue. The songs I like are wonderful. I just wish the entire thing were that good. This is definitely a disc to sample fully before buying.

CD Length: 42:43

Tracks:

1. So Deep in Love

2. Where You Go I Go

3. Every Heart

4. Even the Rocks

5. Miracle Love

6. Glory Glory

7. Stolen it Away

8. Singing Hallelujah

9. On the Blue

10. I Am Here to Praise You

11. Call on Me

12. I Know My Place