In her debut disc Sarah Masen, produced by Charlie Peacock, you may notice the influence of Plato and Donne as she sings "Flames of Truth" and "All Fall Down," but you'll have to think about it. Her plaintive and earnest words set to a sure sense of pop rhythm styles speak more to a Christian understanding of life.
"All Fall Down," Masen's first single, appealed to a number of listeners as the energetic tune hit the peak of the Christian hit radio chart and achieved crossover success in some regions. The playful video clip, a songlist commentary, and a photo scrapbook of Masen's beloved family of ten are available on the enhanced CD for those with CD-ROM compatible computers.
Masen seeks the same mainstream appeal with her third release, "Break Hard the Wishbone." A riveting melody with soft-spoken lyrics, the song urges believers to ask God for what they want. "God has told me to break the wishbone because I can have what I really want. I can have a sense of purpose, to know the nature of true love, and I can have the freedom to be myself," Masen says. The singer's thoughtful music reflects the refreshing qualities of faith, wonder, awe, and hopefulness. There's a maturity in her words that belie her young age, the result of years of intense and contemplative thinking and reading.
Masen wrote nine of the album's ten songs, the exception being "Love" from Victoria Williams. "I wanted everyone . . . to be as happy as I am when they listen to it" she says. "Isn't that what kindergarten taught us? To share our treasures?"
Writing since the age of 16, Masen has remarked that if she weren't a singer, she'd be happy doing research in a library. Library science's loss is Christian music's gain.
Masen is busy recording another CD to be released this spring. But until that project's release, do yourself a favor and listen to Sarah Masen. She's got a lot to say.
WHAT SARAH IS READING:"I have been reading a book by Dick Keyes called True Heroism. It's something that I've been exploring recently. I'd say that right now, one of my heroes would be my mother and father. And all of my brothers and sisters. They've probably been my biggest heroes."
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