let justice roll, take 2

I wrote this song back in November, on November 5th, when the Scripture reading for the following Sunday was Amos 5. The song came pretty quickly. I was eager to find out whether it worked in a worship setting.

The congregation really liked it (it quickly became a favorite for the praise band). I've tried it out with a few other congregations when I've led worship as a guest leader, and it's been very easy to teach and lead, and for other musicians to pick up.

My first recording of it was a scratch, done in about thirty minutes. This time I took my time and tweaked every track and every note. I'm pleased with the result, especially with my first chance to record with the superb vocalist Sarah Smith.

I also like the Dennis DeYoung tribute synth line in the second and third choruses. I knew it needed something, and, strangely enough, that's what came to me. Works, doesn't it?

love me forever

Every year I write a new song for Catherine. Each year it's something different: a bossa, a ballad, a traditional Chinese flute melody. This year, she woke up and found a new song on her computer, entitled "Love Me Forever."

I've always enjoyed electronica, especially deep house, and the formal openness that it allows and even demands. It's interesting to compose it and see why it does what it does, why the cliches of the genre are there. In this case, the insistent beat provides a grid for the flowering melodies and riffs that overlay each other in shifting patterns, and the voice provides a much-needed human dimension against the electronic backdrop. Meanwhile, the urgent tone of deep house suits the material well, giving it an emotional propulsion that I'm very pleased with.

So, here it is, my love: a digital flower. Happy birthday.