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Carman D’Arcy
“A Place Called Grace”
Brick Street Records
11 tracks @ 45:41
Grade = A
This is an excellent debut from the worship leader of Grace Community Church near Indianapolis. Musically, the record is adult contemporary but with a bit of an edge. She views worship as a lifestyle not just a Sunday morning event.
While attending Anderson College, D’Arcy had Gloria Gaither as her songwriting professor.
D’Arcy says, “She talked about not settling for the obvious metaphor and digging deeper, writing out of experience, writing out of an authentic place.”
“A lot of times the songs really do just come in the midst of life happening around me. He gives me songs in the strangest places. I may be washing dishes, vacuuming the floor or driving car pool. I just try to have a pencil, notepad and digital recorder handy.”
There are several tracks here, including “Open My Eyes,” “God You Reign,” “Holy is Our God,” and “Hallelujah We Sing to You.” That last song has some very pretty verses and builds to a crescendo.
“There’s a place for corporate musical worship,” she says, “but if it’s not a launching pad for something bigger, we might as well pack it up. Anything else is empty. In worship, we are called to be filled up, moved, changed, turned around and sent out so we can be the light that God uses to change the culture and draw people to Himself.”
- Rob S.