Counting Stars - Andrew Peterson

I have hearing about this guy named Andrew Peterson for a long time, but had never had a chance to listen to his music before today. Drawing comparisons to artists like Jars of Clay and Fernando Ortega, I decided to give it a shot, and boy was I in for a pleasant surprise. If you have read by blog in the past, it is pretty obvious I have something for originality and experimentalism within the music realm. And moreover, acoustic folk/pop is sweet spot. Add those together and I just couldn’t resist. But even that wasn’t as impressive as his unique writing style. Not many musicians these days can mix worship with ballads and soaring melodies at one time, while also holding a lot of message within for the listener. This guy has it made, twice over.

With a banjo plucking in the background, Peterson kicks things off with a mid-tempo folk tune. No surprise, ¾ of the album is made of such. But the exceptional lyrics and sound of “Many Roads” is what earned its spot, automatically raising the bar for the rest of the album to come. No worries, it lives up to this memorable beginning. After the follow-up comes a personal favorite “Planting Trees,” drawing everyday experiences like gardening and relating them to our life and how out actions affect the future, especially in the home and in our own families.

A couple songs later comes “World Traveler,” again, focusing on the idea of us focusing on the little things in this life that we often pass by. The first real praise song comes a little later with “God of Out Fathers,” but it doesn’t waver the fatherhood theme, saying in the chorus: let the great god of my father be the great of my children, still. To wrap things at the end, he finishes on a high note with “The Reckoning (How Long)” which is probably the most upbeat track on the disc, as well as an immediate entire CD stand-out.

Andrew Peterson, I think, has captured everything he went for with this record. Outstanding instrumentation, a clear message, a laid back style with convicting words… what more could he ask for. The only thing I am asking of him right now is to get back in the studio as soon as possible to make some more of this fabulous music. But until then, I would definitely recommend this to any Christian music fan, or anyone who is currently looking into this talented artist. – Christian Lingner

4 1/2 (5)