Since leaving Caedmon’s Call 10 years ago, Derek Webb has been experimenting and pushing the envelope of the Christian music industry. The folk style that won him many fans was all but abandoned by the time he released The Stockholm Syndrome in 2009.
On his new album, CTRL, Webb looks forward by looking back—back to his folk roots and even further back, incorporating samples from choral Sacred Harp singing in many of the tracks, sometimes right alongside electronic sounds. He calls us to renewed spirituality and to paying close attention to the sacred despite all the noise of modern culture: “I cannot hear because I hear everything.” Knowing that he needs this lesson as much as anyone, in the album’s final track he sings, “I hereby commit myself to stop looking around every corner.” This album is lyrically rich, sonically challenging, and as spiritual as anything Webb has done. (Fair Trade/Columbia)
About the Author
Robert J. Keeley is a professor of education emeritus at Calvin University and leads music at 14th St. Christian Reformed Church in Holland, Mich.