Music Review: Hiding Place by Selah

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: "You are My Hiding Place" and many other tracks

Cons: "By and By" and a couple others don't work for me

The Bottom Line: 

More powerful songs

Made fresh with great arrangements

And tight harmonies

Nichol's Last Recording with Selah is Another Winner

When the Christian group Selah started, it was formed by brother and sister Todd Smith and Nichol Sponberg and their friend Allan Hall.  After three regular recordings and a Christmas CD, Nichol decided to leave the group for a solo career.  Hiding Place is that final recording, and it contains all the Selah trademarks.

Selah rarely records original songs, instead breathing vibrant life into hymns and covering more modern songs.  The disc starts with one of those covers, "You Raise Me Up."  Yes, this is the same song of encouragement that Josh Groban made famous about the same time this disc came out.  It starts with an extended string intro before all three members of the group take turns singing the song of encouragement.

The group loves to do covers of hymns, and there are several on here.  Nichol has a solo on their version of "I Need Thee Every Hour," which they've paired with the first verse of the old song "Part the Water."  It's a great introduction to the hymn of surrender.  Nichol's vocals are amazing, and the strings and piano behind her are outstanding.

They also love to throw some Southern Gospel into the mix, and two of the hymns on here get that treatment.  "There is Power in the Blood" and "Through it All" are both well suited to the style, and they make for some fun tracks.

Since Todd and Nichol were raised on a family mission in Congo Africa, they often do part of all of a song in Kituba, the native language.  The first of those here is "Esengo," which I don't recognize as having an English version, so I think it is a native hymn.  They are joined by other members of their family, and it is a percussion heavy song with some guitar thrown in as well.  It definitely stands out from the rest of the disc, but it's a fun interlude.

I'm not quite as forgiving of "By and By."  They've taken the old hymn and sing it entirely in Kituba.  I'd much rather have one verse in English, but that's me being picky, I guess.  It is definitely a family affair, since the track starts out with an old recording from a baptism service led by Todd and Nichol's grandfather in Congo.  Todd has the vocals on this song, but he is joined by his father on it.  This one is just their voices and the percussion, so it's fun, I'm just really wishing there were a verse in English.

The disc closes like it started - with all three members of the group singing on a song accompanied by piano and strings.  This time, it's the hymn "Before the Throne of God Above."  They're version of this song is beautiful with some great harmonies along the way.

But I've left out my two favorite songs from the disc, both of which are in minor keys.  One of them is "O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus."  This hymn calls out for a dramatic arrangement, and they deliver.  It's a Todd and Nichol duet that is heavy on the strings, but does include piano, percussion, and guitar for a rich mix.  And the lyrics, marveling at God's amazing love for us, are so powerful.

Then there's the title track.  "You are My Hiding Place" has always been one of my favorite praise choruses (hard to believe it's over 30 years old).  Again, Todd and Nichol provide the vocals, with Allan on piano helped out by strings.  The arrangement is absolutely breathtaking.  It starts soft and builds as it progresses.  Todd and Nichol's harmonies are great.  They sing it a total of four times, with only one of them as a round, the way I often sang it in youth group growing up.  I can listen to this song endlessly on repeat (and have upon occasion).

So if you are looking for some powerful arrangements of hymns, Selah is the group to look at, and Hiding Place contains some great examples of their work.

CD Length: 47:18

Tracks:

1. You Raise Me Up

2. Part the Waters/I Need Thee Every Hour

3. I Bless Your Name

4. Esengo

5. All My Praise

6. There is Power in the Blood

7. You are My Hiding Place

8. Through it All

9. By and By

10. O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus

11. All of Me

12. Before the Throne of God Above