Culture
Review

Singing Amid Suffering

Sara Groves uses tragedy to explore God’s love.

Musician Sara Groves has earned acclaim and admiration for her thoughtful articulation of everyday faith, but has garnered a relatively small fan base. The problem may be her quiet, unassuming folk-pop style, considered too mellow by some for today’s contemporary Christian radio. But Groves is attempting to change that image with the aid of producer Brown Bannister (Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman). Thus, Tell Me What You Know (INO); is her most radio-friendly album to date, if not her overall best.

Mainstream popularity is unexpected on an album inspired by Hurricane Katrina, Rwanda genocide, sex trafficking, and International Justice Mission. But Groves uses tragedy and social justice to explore the human condition and the love of God.

She does this with some of her most upbeat music yet, adding soulfulness, faster rhythms, and strong guitar solos to her sound—without compromising her songwriting or signature style.

So the folksy “Say a Prayer,” inspired by testimonies of sex trafficking and slavery victims, doesn’t leave the listener feeling hopeless. Though sad and evocative (“Childhood runs across the meadow / Taken in the night / Told that you’ll be working in the city for a while”), it ultimately points to the sustaining power of prayer.

The album is a testament to perseverance and the essence of faith, as “The Long Defeat” so beautifully illustrates: “We walk a while, we sit and rest, we lay it on the altar / I won’t pretend to know what’s next but what I have I’ve offered.”

The empowering “In the Girl There’s a Room” stands as one of Groves’s best, illustrating the “flame” of unwavering hope with a somewhat bluesy edge: “Oh, tell me what you know about God and the world and the human soul / How so much can go wrong / And still there are songs.”

Indeed, there are songs to comfort and inspire. If the uplifting, thought-provoking songs of Tell Me What You Know don’t turn you on to Groves’s work, nothing will.

Russ Breimeier, online managing editor of ChristianMusicToday.com.

Copyright © 2008 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere:

Christian Music Today has an extended version of this review.

Tell Me What You Know is available from ChristianBook.com and other retailers.

Also in this issue

The CT archives are a rich treasure of biblical wisdom and insight from our past. Some things we would say differently today, and some stances we've changed. But overall, we're amazed at how relevant so much of this content is. We trust that you'll find it a helpful resource.

Our Latest

Justices Debate Christian Therapist’s Challenge to ‘Conversion Therapy’ Ban

Colorado evangelical Kaley Chiles calls the law a violation of her free speech.

Wire Story

Tony Evans Will No Longer Pastor Dallas Megachurch After Restoration

Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship announced that its pastor of 48 years won’t return to leadership. The church expects son Jonathan Evans to succeed him.

You Don’t Have to Be Radical

Most Christians aren’t monks, missionaries, or martyrs. We’re unimpressive and unsatisfactory—yet saved by God’s scandalous grace.

From a Village of Bandits to a Village of the Gospel

Stuartpuram in India’s Andhra Pradesh was once known for its armed robbers. Then the gospel changed them.

Four Truths About God for Children Who Can’t Sleep

And for the grownups—that’s all of us—who never outgrow their need for his presence around the clock.

Preservation Grants Help Black Churches Hold On to Their History

Over a hundred congregations have received up to a half-million dollars to repair deteriorating buildings and restore their place in their communities.

News

Two Years After October 7, Christians See Fruit amid the Suffering

Churches in Israel and Egypt provide food, aid, and a listening ear to those scarred by war.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube