Add To The Beauty [DualDisc] - Sara Groves

Add to the Beauty is the sixth album by the American Christian musician Sara Groves. Unusually, the version I have of the CD is actually a double-sided disc, with the 13-track album on one side, with a 25-minute DVD on the other side.

ABOUT SARA GROVES
Sara Groves comes from Minnesota and has produced six albums, starting with Past the Wishing in 1998. I first heard of her when she was a guest on Michael Card's weekly radio ...
...so that they have to add a trailer on the back. You then see the bus stopped on the side of the motorway after a tyre blow-out, which is the result of being too heavily loaded with all the donated supplies. They are helped by John Daly (the Open golf winner in 1995) who arranges a trailer, who refuses to charge them for the help. Then you see them arriving in Slidell, just across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans, where they meet a local pastor. ... more

Add to the Beauty is the sixth album by the American Christian musician Sara Groves. Unusually, the version I have of the CD is actually a double-sided disc, with the 13-track album on one side, with a 25-minute DVD on the other side.

ABOUT SARA GROVES
Sara Groves comes from Minnesota and has produced six albums, starting with Past the Wishing in 1998. I first heard of her when she was a guest on Michael Card's weekly radio programme, In the Studio, where she was talking about her involvement with International Justice Mission (www.ijm.org). IJM is an advocacy organisation working on behalf of the victims of human trafficking, particularly those forced into the sex trade. I was struck by her passion for the cause, and moved by the story she told about one victim who had been rescued from a brothel, who had maintained her faith by clinging to the hope in Psalm 28:8 "The Lord gives his people strength, he is a safe fortress". She also told about how Hurricane Katrina had affected her, but more of that below.

So when I was looking for a birthday present for my wife, and I saw this CD in the shop, I had no hesitation in buying it, even though I have no real indication of what type of music it would be.

THE ALBUM
The track listing is at the end of the review. The music is very well-mastered, slickly produced with Sara Groves' solo vocal throughout. The backing track is predominantly keyboards, with some guitar, drums etc. If I were to try to compare her to someone else to give a picture of how it sounds, the nearest comparison would be Suzanne Vega. Some of the tracks, in particular 'When it Was Over' and 'You are the Sun' remind me of Vega, while 'Just Showed Up For My Own Life' recalls Fleetwood Mac.

There is not a great variation of style throughout the album, although 'To The Moon' stands out for its whimsical lyrics. My favourite track is 'Why It Matters', which has an insistent energy that really struck me, although "Add To The Beauty" is not far behind.

The lyrics are about life experiences, all seen through the prism of Christian discipleship. The thinking behind the tile "Add To The Beauty" is explained on the CD case, "The only thing that could rival my despair at the pain in the world is my hope in a very real kingdom of God, and very real people who by the grace of God are adding to the beauty with their beautiful art, creative lives, and redemptive work." So it is no surprise that themes such as forgiveness, hope, major life changes and sacrificial love run through the album. The lyrics of 'Loving A Person' are particularly powerful "Loving a person just the way they are, it's no small thing / it takes some time to see things through / Sometimes things change, sometimes we're waiting / We need grace either way / Hold on to me / I'll hold on to you /Let's find out the beauty of seeing things through". The thread flowing through the album is emphasised by the fist and last tracks repeating the refrain "Love wash over a multitude of things."

THE DVD
I guess the original idea of the DVD was to show how the songs were thought of, put together and recorded. There is a brief section showing the recording of "Something Changed", and footage of Sara Groves singing at a fair in Minnesota. However, the bulk of the DVD is given over to early September 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. On the radio she, she said how she had seen herself for too long as one of the religious people in the Parable of the Good Samaritan who passed on the other side of the road. She was determined now to run to the assistance of those in need, and on hearing about the effects of the hurricane, she and her husband set off with a bus to deliver baby supplies (nappies, formula milk etc) to Louisiana. The DVD shows her nervousness before setting off, and the overwhelming response of people giving supplies, so much so that they have to add a trailer on the back. You then see the bus stopped on the side of the motorway after a tyre blow-out, which is the result of being too heavily loaded with all the donated supplies. They are helped by John Daly (the Open golf winner in 1995) who arranges a trailer, who refuses to charge them for the help. Then you see them arriving in Slidell, just across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans, where they meet a local pastor. The understated footage shows them distributing their supplies, cooking food and touring the area to see the damage. It is very moving, especially since it is so understated and unemotional. All the scenes are intercut with music from the album.

OVERALL EVALUATION
Had there been no DVD, I would have been given this 3-stars, ie average or a touch better. There are some nice songs and good lyrics, but overall not too much that is stand-out memorable. However, the DVD made a real impression of me of how a single family can bring real relief to a few people in the midst of tragedy, just by living out their faith without fuss and with humility. I am very pleased I gave this to my wife now, and I would recommend it for the DVD.

The last two scenes on the DVD show the graphics from booklet that comes with the album. The first has this quotation from Mother Theresa "You can do no great things, just small things with great love." The last picture contains lyrics from the tile track Add To The Beauty, "Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces / Calling out the best of who we are."

FACTUALS

This is a double-sided disc, audio and DVD. There is a pleasant photo of Sara Groves on the front, and you get all the lyrics in a booklet inside the case.

Play list
1. When it Was Over
2. Just Showed Up For My Own Life
3. You Are The Sun
4. It’s Going To Be Alright
5. Add To The Beauty
6. Rewrite This Tragedy
7. Something Changed
8. How Can I Tell
9. To The Moon
10. Kingdom Comes
11. Why It Matters
12. Loving A Person
13. When It Was Over (reprise)

DVD
Contains footage from the recording studio, a live in-store performance and hurricane relief documentary.

There is a disclaimer on the case "the audio side of this disc does not conform to CD specifications and therefore not all DVD and CD play the audio side of this disc". I did not have any problem putting on my iPod however.

It is currently available on Amazon at £11.99 

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