The Michael Smith Band
Days of Wonder
To singer/songwriter Michael Smith, “I Will Live” isn’t just a title to one of his compositions; it summarizes his entire existence. In 1978, Smith found himself underneath a 15-ton crane that had fallen on him while working at his family’s construction business. The odds of survival from such a serious accident are slim to none and, even if there was light at the end of the tunnel, most likely it would be one confined to a wheelchair or worse. But Smith managed to survive and walk again despite the doom slips from doctors. His love for life is the connecting thread between the exhilaratingly positive tunes on his latest album.
Opening with the radiant title cut, Smith captures both the transcendent pop of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) and the melodic thrust and intimate, introspective feel of today’s smart singer/songwriters such as Dave Matthews and John Mayer. Smith writes and sings of young soldiers dying in the war, the environmental crisis, losing and finding love, and opening one’s arms to God while avoiding partisan politics, romantic clichés, and Bible-thumping dogmatism. Smith’s soft-spoken delivery matches his lyrical style; he doesn’t hammer you with his beliefs. Smith prefers to tell stories instead, letting the messages be communicated through his tales. In “Mother Earth,” Smith hears the pain of this planet as it is ripped of its inherent beauty. “The Iron Will Stand Forever” pays tribute to this country’s iron workers as its foundation, symbolizing its greatness and ability to triumph over any tragedy. There is a post-9/11 patriotism that runs through “The Iron Will Stand Forever,” a renewed faith in the American Way that is quite powerful.
Every track on the record beams with substance and stainless musicianship.
The Michael Smith Band: http://www.michaelsmithband.com
