Kate Miner
“Prodigal Martha”
Floodgate Records
11 tracks @ 50:41

Many of the songs on this record were inspired by the silence Kate had to endure while recovering from surgery last year to remove polyps from her vocal cords.

Quoting from her PR material, “Being a woman who has made a career from making noise and who just generally loves to be in conversation, not speaking [first for an entire week and then only five minutes per day] was a huge hurdle. Expecting to spend the time completely connected to God, Kate had a rude awakening. Instead she spent the time in the ‘wilderness,’ learning that she didn’t have to earn God’s love.”

I’m pleased to say that Kate has recovered quite nicely from her surgery and sounds in fine form on this record, a great record I might add. Fans of the music of Sara Groves will really like this record. I did.

Kate also demonstrates some versatility as she rocks out on the tracks “Song in My Heart” and “Jesus,” drawing a very favorable comparison to Rebecca St. James.

“Who Will Cry” is an excellent track told from the perspective of society’s forgotten, an orphaned child, an old man who’s lost his wife, an unloved woman, etc. “I wonder why God hasn’t moved and I wonder when He will.” It was not a coincidence that the day after I wrote this review, one of my daily devotionals was based on Matthew 25: 31-46. While this song did not strike me as an overt call to action, I’m reminded that it’s easy for us who live modestly comfortable lives to forget those who aren’t visible in our sphere of existence.

I really liked the lyrics for “The Cross.” “Jesus changed the symbol of the cross. From the language of rejection to a sign of resurrection.”

Phil Keaggy makes a guest appearance on “Hung the Moon.” But in a minor oversight, who played the flute??

Kate also provides some extensive, insightful comments in the CD booklet.

This is one of the few new records that I’ve listened to this year that will see the inside of my 20th wedding anniversary present boombox more than once.

You can find out more about Kate Miner by logging onto her web site at www.kateminer.com.

Highly recommended.

- Rob S.