FamilyFans Music

###

Big Blue Sky

Bebo Norman / Watershed Records/Essential Records

After a debut album like Ten Thousand Days—one that sold over 125,000 copies in the USA and which was the top-selling new artist release in Europe for the year 2000—expectations have been high for the sophomore release from acoustic folk/pop maven, Bebo Norman.  Unfortunately, that also means it’s easier to disappoint. So how does Norman do on his second effort, Big Blue Sky? Well, not bad actually.

Fans of his gentle, soulful vocal delivery and thought-provoking lyrical expertise will be pleased to find more of the same in this CD. Norman especially delivers in melodies like the feisty “Cover Me” and the introspective “Tip of My Heart.” Also arresting is “Perhaps She’ll Wait for Me,” a sorrowful-yet-hopeful piece about love and longing.

Unfortunately, there are a few “misses” among the hits on this album, and usually they occur when Norman allows his strong songwriting to be influenced by a collaborator. The cheesy-pop love song, “You Surround Me” is a perfect example of this kind of diluted artistry—and one Norman’s producer should have been smart enough to avoid.

No, Big Blue Sky doesn’t quite measure up to the sky-high expectations that accompany it, but overall, this is still a solid second effort from one of Christian music’s more talented young artists.

--Mike Nappa

###