Culture
Review

Jacaranda

Josh Garrels finds God in the shadows.

Gentle folkie Josh Garrels writes songs of such pristine beauty and contemplative wonder, you may be lulled into a meditative bliss. Don't be. On Jacaranda (Grrr Records), his third album, Garrels does what he has done before, only better: He spins lovely tales of a dislocated, grace-filled life in a fallen world. He wanders a fragile and broken planet, a stranger and an alien ripped apart by the greed, injustice, and casual indifference that values money and material goods over people.

Jacaranda

Jacaranda

PUMWHIP

September 5, 2036

Yet he is awed by the simple grace of a bird's wing, the interplay of sunlight and shade on a rippling river, the miracle of birth. In the words of the late songwriter Mark Heard, he finds the strong hand of God hidden in the shadows.

That tension informs almost every song on Jacaranda. Children are born, grandparents die. Sin extends its inexorable reach, yet is overcome by quiet faith and obedience. Garrels communicates these conundrums through a supple, soulful falsetto, a bevy of stringed instruments, judicious use of world music samples, and trip-hop beats that subtly augment the push and pull of his complex, nuanced songs.

On the reggae-tinged "Zion and Babylon," he addresses the idols of mammon head-on, confronting a world in which greed fuels selfish consumption and fortunes are built upon the backs of the poor. But he offers a way out of the madness through love and faith in Christ. On the modern Delta blues piece "Never Have I Found," he stacks horror-movie imagery—blood-red moons, wolves, demon hounds—atop a jagged guitar riff that accentuates the lure of a glittering, hollow life apart from Christ. These are prickly, barbed songs, but they are not soon forgotten.

There are also moments of transcendent beauty. The wordless falsetto that accompanies the opening track, "Lake Yarina," is as angelically moving as anything found outside the Book of Revelation or a Sigur Rós album. Through it all, Garrels looks for a true home in the ineffable, finding meaning beneath the obvious and visible surfaces. He's mining, and he's mining for glory.

Andy Whitman, senior contributing editor for Paste magazine.

Copyright © 2009 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere:

Jacaranda is available at Amazon.com and other retailers. Christianity Today also has other reviews on music, movies, books, and other media.

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.

Cover Story

Jesus Is Not a Brand

Review

'The Blue Parakeet' Faces Inconvenient Verses

PhotographyWatch

News

Memphis's Other Graceland

Pivoting Toward the Faraway Neighbor

Lord, Teach Us to Pray

What Is a Spiritual Director?

What Is Spiritual Direction?

Spiritual Formation Agenda

News

Managing Your Money

News

A Surefire Investment

Groans Too Deep for Words

Faith-based Super Bowl Parties

The Evolution of Darwin

There Goes the Neighborhood

News

Books Uncommon and Offbeat

News

The Greatest Social Need

News

Evolve or Die

News

Popcorn in the Pews

Bush's Envoy's Advice: 'Raise Cain'

News

Building a Peace Beyond Understanding

Review

Everyday Lord

News

Better Than a Bailout

News

Battle Fatigue

Editorial

Don't Let Them Die Alone

How to Help Orphans

Our Priorities for 2009

News

Go Figure

News

Black Flight

News

Second Thoughts

News

Emergent's Divergence

News

Microfinance, Now More Micro

News

News Briefs: January 01, 2009

News

Quotation Marks

News

Passages

News

Up for Debate

View issue

Our Latest

Public Theology Project

The Star of Bethlehem Is a Zodiac Killer

How Christmas upends everything that draws our culture to astrology.

News

As Malibu Burns, Pepperdine Withstands the Fire

University president praises the community’s “calm resilience” as students and staff shelter in place in fireproof buildings.

The Russell Moore Show

My Favorite Books of 2024

Ashley Hales, CT’s editorial director for print, and Russell discuss this year’s reads.

News

The Door Is Now Open to Churches in Nepal

Seventeen years after the former Hindu kingdom became a secular state, Christians have a pathway to legal recognition.

The Holy Family and Mine

Nativity scenes show us the loving parents we all need—and remind me that my own parents estranged me over my faith.

Why Christians Oppose Euthanasia

The immorality of killing the old and ill has never been in question for Christians. Nor is our duty to care for those the world devalues.

China’s Churches Go Deep Rather than Wide at Christmas

In place of large evangelism outreaches, churches try to be more intentional in the face of religious restrictions and theological changes.

Wire Story

Study: Evangelical Churches Aren’t Particularly Political

Even if members are politically active and many leaders are often outspoken about issues and candidates they support, most congregations make great efforts to keep politics out of the church when they gather.

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