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Jump Off The Ship

Trinity River Band

2015 - Orange Blossom Records.  We first introduced you to Trinity River Band in 2014, when they released their Christmas album On A Morning Like This. A few months later we featured them when they issued their Heartstrings project.  Since then we really haven’t heard much from this family band.  During this initiation, I felt that Trinity River was the band to watch as their sound was fresh with tight harmonies and vast characteristics.  However, I have not heard much growth within their music.  This band embraces a solid Christian foundation, one that can be beneficial if instilled correctly. Music, especially Bluegrass, does have a Christian foundation.  However, the heart and soul of Bluegrass is encompassing a genuine storytelling presence. Nonetheless, I believe that this band has side-stepped their extraordinary talent to become extreme evangelists. I do have to take into consideration that this album dates back to their musical beginnings.  With ten cuts on the project, Trinity River includes two songs written by Mark Brinkman with “Give God The Power” and “A Sinner’s Prayer.”  If you follow the Spirit Awards you will recognize “A Sinner’s Prayer” as the winner of the 2015 Song of the Year Award.  Another song taken from a previous album is “On A Morning Like This.”  This five member family band is quite talented in many aspects of the music genre, including songwriting.  Mike Harris, the father, wrote three of the songs including “More Love,” “Over In A Moment,” and the title track.  With its heartfelt and natural message about life, it is his “Over In A Moment,” that emerges to capture our attention.  So much so that it will hit our list of Top Songs of 2019, while earning a nomination for the Spirit Award’s Song of The Year award.  It is songs like this one that gives us a brief glimpse into what this band could achieve.  I personally believe that they are too eager to gain success that they are not allowing themselves to gracefully mature in an artistic fashion.  There is much work that this group needs to undertake if they are to succeed.  First and foremost, they need to sidestep their hard core, evangelistic ways to create more of a light-hearted spiritual essence.  By going this route, they will gain broader audience.  Other than “Over In A Moment” and “A Sinner’s Prayer,” this album does not retain much to consider it for purchase. I am disappointed in this band’s actions as I can briefly hear their vast potential. $$

(© Strictly Country Magazine - March / April 2019 issue.)

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