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Real
Artist: Sean Smith
Label: Tag Artist Group
Length: 10 tracks / 41:28
Sean Smith’s music sweeps in like a breath of fresh air with his new CD Real and the singer’s rich vocals begin with the opening song, the title track. Smith is supported with backup vocals from Drew Cline, Lisa Bevill, and two American Idol finalists Mandisa Hundley (2006) and Melinda Doolittle (2007).
If you are easily moved to tears, have a box of tissues close at hand when the third track “If Sierra Can Smile,” begins to play. The song of a young child hospitalized most of her life is depicted in this moving smile sung by Smith with equally emotive smiles. The lyric serves up a reminder of just how much we take for granted in our own lives. The singer reminds us that, “If Sierra can smile through her pain….then why can’t we?”
Real is an album that explores many aspects of our faith and challenges us to respond to the call of God upon our lives to go where He wants us to go. The song, “Man Of Meaning,” challenges us to stand in the gap where God requires people of faith. The singer finds his purpose not in dramatic fashion but in his quiet time alone with God. The simple acoustic guitar accompaniment by Dave Cleveland and Smith’s deep vocals paint a pretty word picture. One of my personal favorites from this CD is the R&B flavored, “Noah Built A Boat,” which reminds us that the patriarch was out there building a boat at a time when nobody had ever seen rain. The aforementioned backup singers are this time joined by Missy Hale and Jason Eskridge.
Sean Smith writes songs with the passion of Mark Hall (Casting Crowns) but possesses a better voice (sorry Mark). Smith wrote or co-wrote (with producer Phil Naish and Lowell Alexander) nine of the ten tunes on Real.
Smith appears equally comfortable and adept with meditative pretty lullabies such as “Words Of Grace,” as he is with “The Edge of Forever,” which gets pretty close to rocking out. If you have children whether they are now adult aged or are still tiny, you will be moved by the sensitivity with which Smith approaches the lyrics to “Words of Grace.” Russell Mauldin arranged the strings.
Although the music for this album is, beautiful Naish has done a good job of keeping things simple, which helps highlight Smith’s vocal performance and allows the listener to clearly hear the poignant lyrics. The record features Chris Donohue on bass, Dave Cleveland (guitars), Naish on keys and John Careozza on the B3.
Sean Smith’s CD Real is a booklet of the most beautiful songs that I have heard so far in 2007.
Reviewer: Joe Montague
All Rights Reserved-Copyright
Joe Montague is an internationally published journalist / photographer and the publisher of Riveting Riffs, www.rivetingriffs.com. His ministry is dedicated to the memory of his late son Kent David Montague who went to heaven at the age of 18. All copyright and distribution rights remain the property of Joe Montague. - The Phantom Tollbooth
Discography
REAL - National Debut Release, February 2007
National Radio Singles:
Real
Shut Out The World
Satellite Radio:
XM 32 "The Message" - Currently playing "Shut Out The World"
Internet Radio:
Many internet stations are currently playing a number of Sean's songs.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Sean Smith is one of those people who manages to challenge you without even realizing it. When you come away from a conversation with him, there is the strange sense that you want to be a better person, to love God more, to put up a stronger fight against your own pride and sense of entitlement. Some would say it's because Sean exhibits a genuine humility; Sean, on the other hand, would say it's just God working in people's hearts.
Just like the rest of us, Sean has played the game of tug-of-war with God. In 2005, he felt the call to full-time music. At the time he had a successful sales job and pursuing music seemed like a foolish thing to do, especially in light of supporting his wife and two young children. But God was persistent in calling Sean, pulling him, pushing him even.
The songs on Sean's debut album, Real, tell a bit of that story. They're songs of hope and faith and struggle. A lyric from "Called Because I Can" never ceases to bring tears to my eyes: Follow as you should / you weren't called because you could / you were called because I can. And it's just that type of lyric that illustrates the kind of man Sean is: he's not flashy, not glitzy, there is nothing "rock star" about him. He'll tell you himself-he's just one man on a journey with God at the helm. And it's not even about the music as much as it is about the story of what God is doing in his life and the lives of those around him.
One of the paradoxes about Sean is that he views his situation with such casual gravity. He realizes what a small role he plays in what God is doing, yet it's easy for anyone to see that God is doing remarkable things. For instance, he's an independent artist whose national debut release somehow managed to land the top-spot as LifeWay's first #1 New Music Release of 2007, ahead of all the label artists whose songs play on every Christian radio station across America. A five-time Momentum Award Winnier, Sean was named the 2007 Male Vocalist of the Year, and in 2006 took home four Momentum awards, including Album of the Year for Real. That's no small feat.
Sean's taking it all in stride, though. In fact, he probably wouldn't even mention any of this to you if you asked him about his career. When I met Sean, he was attending a seminar I was teaching at the Gospel Music Association's Academy, and we talked for a bit before he casually handed me his CD, failing to mention that Multi-Grammy/Dove award winner Phil Naish produced it. When I put it in my stereo, I was blown away by what I heard. Immediately, I heard tinges of Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith throughout the 10 songs on Real. Sean could hardly eschew references to his influences, because his music could sit side-by-side with any of them on a stage or a stereo.
That day, I was encouraged by the words of his songs and challenged for the first time by his humility. It was clear to me on that first listen that God had set Sean apart for this. And it continues to be clear to me every time I talk with him or hear his music. He's a rarity-an artist that feels more familiar than famous, no matter how many albums he sells or how many awards he wins. I'm so glad we serve a God who beat Sean at that game of tug-of-war... our ears and our hearts will be all the better for it.
Written by Tara Leigh Cobble
Musician, Speaker, and Author of Here's to Hindsight: Letters to My Former Self (RELEVANT)
http://www.taraleighcobble.com
RECOMMENDATIONS
"IT WAS A JOY WORKING WITH SEAN ON THIS PROJECT. IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH A MAN WHO HAS SUCH A CLEAR VISION OF WHAT GOD WOULD HAVE HIM TO DO IN HIS MINISTRY AND THE HEART TO PURSUE THAT VISION. REAL HAS A SONG AND A STORY FOR EVERYONE."
PHIL NAISH
MULTI - GRAMMY/DOVE AWARD WINNING PRODUCER
NASHVILLE, TN
"RARELY DO WE FIND AN ARTIST WHOSE SOARING VOICE IS MATCHED BY THEIR INCREDIBLE HEART FOR MINISTRY. SEAN SMITH IS SUCH AN ARTIST."
LEE BATES
MINISTER OF MUSIC AND WORSHIP
DALLAS, TEXAS
"THE TIME WE HAD WITH SEAN HAS BECOME A SPIRITUAL MARKER IN OUR LIVES. HE LED US TO AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD THAT ENCOURAGED AND TOUCHED OUR HEARTS. HIS STORY, MUSIC AND ATTITUDE CREATED A CONNECTION WITH GOD THAT LEFT NO DOUBT THAT WE ARE LOVED BY THE CREATOR."
JEFF GARVIN
STUDENT PASTOR
THE FAMILY CHURCH
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