Music Review: Speed of Light by Bruce Carroll

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: "Here I Go Again" and "I Want to Trust You" top the great songs

Cons: "Don't Blame Love" and "It's Just Like Church to Me"

The Bottom Line:

A couple sub-par

But most of these songs are great

Enjoy this CD

Get This Bruce Carroll CD at Lightning Speed

Bruce Carroll was on the fringe of Christian music in the 90's. While he had some modest radio success, he never became that popular. And this is a shame because, as Speed Of Light indicates, he was worth hearing.

Frankly, I think the biggest problem with Bruce's music was his style. He's rightly been classified as a cross between pop, folk, and bluegrass. And I'll be the first to admit that Christian music circles don't go for much variety. His style tended to label him as Christian's Country artist, which was probably his undoing. While calling him out and out country goes too far, there definitely are some flavorings there. Personally, I like it for something different.

All three influences can be heard on the first track. While "Here I Go Again" is definitely a pop track, the guitar on the musical bridges certainly adds a folky bluegrass to the mix. It's got a strong beat; in fact, it is one of the few upbeat songs on the disc. The lyrics about moving forward in hard times are wonderful.

Most of the CD tends to be on the slower side of things. That probably helps explain why the title track is slow. "Speed of Light" reminds us that Jesus can be anywhere to help as soon as we pray. Granted, it's not anything earth shattering, but it's a clever way of reminding us. And the piano that is the focus of the instruments is beautiful.

I'm a sucker for songs about trusting God, so "I Want to Trust You" was an instant draw of this disc. This simple ballad starts with hand picked guitar and slowly adds in drums and piano. And the lyrics perfectly capture the struggle to trust God for me.

"You Can Get There from Here" is another upbeat song. Of course, what passes for upbeat here is really mid tempo most anywhere else. It's a nice reminder that Jesus has created the way to God by His death on the cross. So, if we can get to God, there's no need to keep living in our sin and despair.

The next song does present the other side of that coin, however. "Someday I May Rise Above it All" is a heartbreaking song with a true country flair. In the song, Bruce sings of the struggle of someone caught in the sad consequences of his choices. While there are hints of strings on all the songs, they really play a part here, as does a harmonica.

The disc closes with the quiet "God Doesn't Know." While there is light percussion and strings, the focus here is on Bruce and his acoustic guitar. Co-written with Christian funny man Mark Lowry, this song has a rather series subject as it lists things that God doesn't know. The list includes the obvious choices like "a sinner He can't love/a broken heart He can't men/a fallen tear He can't dry." While there really isn't anything new here, the song did make me stop and view that aspect of God's nature again.

There are a couple songs I'm not a big fan of on the disc. "Don't Blame Love" is another of Bruce's songs about the hurt that loving can cause. Frankly, I've never been a big fan of those songs, and this one, which talks about death and divorce, doesn't fare any better. And, while I like the idea behind "It's Just Like Church to Me," I've never liked the song. Yes, we can worship God anywhere and everywhere we are. And we should. But the lyrics never captured it right and the slow melody doesn't capture my ear.

Even with those two missteps, I am still giving this CD 5 stars. Why? Because the other tracks as so strong. This disc was released in 1996, and I still pull it out and listen to it on a regular basis. So if you are looking for a hidden gem of Christian music to track down, Speed Of Light is well worth the effort.