Bebo Norman
Between The Dreaming And The Coming True

by Cade L.

Provident Music, September 2006
Genre: Pop/worship
For fans of: Phil Collins
Rating: 3.5/5

Whoa, what a surprise I experienced after listening to this wonderful album. “Surely I won't like this, it's Bebo Norman, one of the poster-boys for CCM Magazine mush. The pride of the Christian music industry pop music horde.” I was wrong. I still can't figure out exactly what it is that made me enjoy this album so much except that it's great, spiritually rich music.

Musically:
Norman's music is very poppy, with plenty of soft guitars, keys, strings, and under-mixed drum-work. As I mentioned earlier, it's “mush.” The songs on this album would fit nicely on any Christian radio station. That's what we hear on the surface, but upon closer examination, we see that Norman and his producers are fundamentally great song-writers. This fact all but makes up for the “mush”-factor inherent in this genre. The progressions throughout the songs are so beautiful,yet simple-causing me to close my eyes in places. The album begins with “Into The Day,” a piano-driven track. The minute “My Covering” began, images of Phil Collins flooded to my mind. The similarities and influences are undeniable here. “My Covering” is a sure-fire Christian radio hit. “Time Takes It's Toll On Us” features one of those great chord progressions I mentioned in the song's verses. Normans goes even softer on “I Know Now,” a very smooth track that picks up in just the right places. The worship elements come into play in “I Will Lift My Eyes,” a powerful ballad—another potential radio hit. Next comes the catchy “Way We Mend,” which again, conjures images of the ever-present Phil Collins. This is one of my favorite tracks from this record. Then comes a surprising turn, the under-produced, classically simple “To Find My Way To You.” I found this song slightly refreshing in a way. “My Eyes Have Seen Holy” brings back the feeling of worship music with more pleasant piano- heavy sounds. If there is one song to hate on this album however, it's “Sunday.” It just takes the cheer-factor to heights which even I cannot handle. Fortunately, “Now That You're Gone” brings us back into the swing of things. This is my favorite song on the record by far. It's catchy, moving, and easily accessible to someone like myself. This is as classically rock 'n roll as Bebo Norman gets.

Lyrically/Vocally:
Bebo Norman's vocals suit the music very well, again, a strong influence from Phil Collins' work. His voice is very low, rich, smooth and strong. His vocals would fit well within a number of different genres. Norman's vocals aren't exactly unique, but never once does he slip and deliver a bad sound. Very solid stuff. The lyrics are very typical of the genre, but never go out of their way to become preachy. I get the feeling that he means what he says deep within him. The subjects range from hopeful devotion to God, inspiration to get moving with life, love for his wife, and all around worship.

Overall, I was impressed with Between The Dreams And The Coming True. It's not groundbreaking in any way, just an all around good performance from a good artist. I can't say how long this record will last in my psyche, but for the moment, I find it a soothing alternative to all the noise int this world.