An Atmosphere of Contemplation
Posted November 08, 2017
By MaryNikkel_NRT, Staff Reviewer
For the most part, worship music is understood as providing much of the structure for our personal prayers and expressions of praise to God. The usage of Swedish duo Salt of the Sound's latest project, In Prayer, is quite different. These seven songs provide instead an ambience, a soundtrack, which we as listeners build our own structures from.
The project is largely instrumental, but where there are words, they take the form of simple yet rich refrains. "Be Still, My Soul" features Anita Tatlow's vocals drifting, voicing the words of the song's title over a dreamlike sonicscape. "Lamb of God" repeats a simple, classic liturgical prayer: "Lamb of God, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, grant us peace."
In a time when often worship music seems to tend towards the bigger, louder and brighter, each track on In Prayer hums with a uniquely meditative vibe. Songs like "Solace" and "Rest" create exactly the atmosphere the titular words describe. They lay the groundwork for building personal prayers from a place of soul stillness. "Hope" pulls at inner spiritual longings, singing quietly "Oh my soul waits for you, all my hope is in you."
The ethereal vocal style and abstract, cinematic instrumentation throughout the seven songs reminds of Enya, with hints of the Celtic ballad style modernized by Celtic Woman and Loreena McKennitt. It's an auditory palette we don't often hear in faith-based music, and it works beautifully in the context of contemplation.
The Bottom Line: If you're looking for a gentler, less structured soundtrack to your personal prayer times, Salt of the Sound's In Prayer EP will lead you deep into a place of meditation and rest.
For Fans Of: Enya, Moya Brennan, Gungor, The Brilliance
Song to Download Now:
"Be Still My Soul" (Get it on iTunes here.)
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