A Mountain of Beauty and Depth
Coloring with shades of Neil Young, Cory Dauber paints with a broad brush of warmth and mahogany in his latest full length album, Turn Into A Mountain. Deeply set within the hard to pin down genre of americana, Cory has developed a sound that encompasses country, the fields of the flyover states, and hints of appalachia. In the midst of that, there’s a bit of the neo folk sound you’ll find with the independent crowd in the Pacific Northwest, not surprising seeing that he hails from Portland, OR. Even as this album is richly colored with sound, it is equally rich in scripture and lyrical journeys of faith of which to any person can relate.
Beginning with “Cornerstone,” Turn Into A Mountain, immerses the listener with an image of faith that is powerful and enriching. Invoking pictures of people running towards God and being set free, it poises the listener to reflect upon God’s grace and mercy. Cory’s voice is both fragile and emotionally powerful on this track, adding to the imagery and urges the listener to reflect on their own humanity. “Hands that Formed Me Out of Dust” and “Victory of Christ” are bare acoustic tracks that add an additional level of dimension and dynamics to an album that could easily be produced to sound all the same, yet Cory has found a flow and pace to the album that makes it an enjoyable listening experience.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to find new ways to say and reveal old truths in a new way that is relevant to Christians. Cory has found new turn of phrases on old sayings to for Christians to think new on their faith, peeling back the layers of faith. The anguish of “Blood Red Wine” is truth written in poetry and wonderfully pleadingly sang. “Broken Man” has phrases that exemplify this, ‘My well’s dug deep by the savior’s hands, My eternal springs in a broken land.’ Excellent lyrics like this fill the entire album in a beautifully woven album.
It is no surprise that Cory Dauber is being promoted by a small record label based in Oregon, Deeper Well. They boast a modest roster with several excellent releases by outstanding artists, Cory Dauber’s Turn Into A Mountain their most recent release. For a first time solo release of Cory Dauber, this is a monumental and richly beautiful album. It belongs in any collection of a believer who values the tones of americana and faith based music.
Cory Dauber on Deeper Well http://deeper-well.com/releases/turn-into-a-mountain/
Noisetrade http://noisetrade.com/corydauber/turn-into-a-mountain