Heather Clark - Overcome [Music Review]

Artist: Heather Clark

Album: Overcome

Album Length:  11 Tracks: 1Hour 2 Minutes 41 Seconds

Street Date: June 19, 2012

Label: Kingsway Music

iPod Pick: Come in 

Heather Clark is a professional dancer who lives in British Columbia and also a part of the worship singing team Jesus Culture (based in Redding California). For me there are two types of worship music. There are ‘hand-me down’ songs, songs that sound so familiar to you,  like you are reading a bible text or hearing again another song you’ve heard before and they often contain a lot of worship lingua which we are familiar with. Clichéd some might say, and honestly I don’t mean this in any derogatory form cause this is good and they could be a form of liturgy we turn to in moments to set our hearts on course but there’s also worship music that is passionate and deep. On this you would hear lyrics you haven’t really considered with a big God. The singer would sing of God as an everyday friend and lover not because he or she is trying to be unnecessarily familiar but because maybe cause the music was born out of an experience or a deep encounter or even a life lesson when God showed up. For Heather Clark’s Overcome, it falls into the second category.

I want to read Heather’s blog (if she’s got one) and I want to hear her story cause she’s got something deep going on with God, and really for music that’s set to focus your attention on God that’s enough. Musically, Heather would bring to mind the sweet, vibrant but mellow sounds of Cher, Jennifer Knapp, Plumb, Sarah McLachlan, Debbie Harry (of Blondie), even Mellissa How and Kim Walker Smith of Jesus Culture would come to mind when you hear her voice but most of all a particular timbre she reminded me of was the peculiar voice of Dido, that voice undulation with so much control of hers. 

‘Come In’ the opening track sounds so much like an 80’s rock concert song. It’s beautiful in its entirety. though I would love to compare it to Plumb’s Free ( the beautiful lumps of coal  project) or any loud song by the group Blondie (or maybe ‘The Cardigans’) I won’t cause though it sounds like these tunes it’s also unique on its own. This album is a must get, it’s soulful, deep, and reflective and guess what, no clichés at all. If you aren’t a fan of Jesus culture or even worship music, get this one cause you would sure be surprised and it’s a five star all the way.