Keep Me
Artist: Sarah Baquet
Label: Independent
Release Date: August 3, 2011
Duration: 14 tracks, 48:46
A sampling of all artists compared to Christian artists alone
would show there are as many Christian artists who are under the public radar
as all artists combined. The ‘starving’ artists often create heart-felt masterpieces,
which seldom reach the masses but thankfully find a home in the heart of those
in need. Such is the case with Sarah Baquet’s freshman release Keep Me.
Sarah Baquet, who also goes by the name ‘Sarita’, (acquired
during one of her early mission trips) is a gifted songwriter, musician,
mission worker, teacher, wife, mother, and friend to all who have been lucky
enough to cross her path. Few artists are so gifted as to seamlessly craft multiple
languages in their songs. Nearly a decade in the making, Keep Me combines these
qualities with a faith as strong as I have witnessed to produce a collection of
personal songs with the intent of sharing an artist’s truths.
Every lyric is praise, worship, and a reflection of
Christian life. Every song acoustic, strong, and full of life. Every melody
carries faith. Simple and true, listening to Keep Me reminds the listener of
Judee Sill’s work long ago, but with a message much more pure and direct.
Some of Baquet’s earliest writing clearly portrays the depth
of her faith. “Till My Last Day” shines with strong voice giving light to
powerful lyrics and ”Hail Holy Queen”, with lyrics adapted from Catholic prayer,
portrays a faith strong. Excerpt from “Till My Last Day”:
Just a
little while left they told me, and then I looked ahead.
The path of
Your servant is long, for to gain your life You said,
You have to lose it.
O, Father,
is there any other way,
But to
choose that Christ increase in me…Till my last day
Both “Comply”, with good breaks and great melody, and “Keep
Me”, display Baquet’s wide vocal range. One of three Spanish lyric offerings
samples the depth of her talents (the artist’s notes are included to provide
background)”:
“Desde Mi Castillo Blanco” (“From My Whit Castle” – this is NOT an allusion to the White House or to our
government, rather, white is a symbol of the clean, pristine, comfortable and
perfect world we long for, and that which the ugly poverty of our brothers and
sisters ‘dirties’.)
From my
white castle in comfort and in warmth I see my brother suffering, beneath the
rain and the cold is killing him. What
am I going to do?
Chorus:
Let us begin brothers, because up until now little or nothing have we done! (A
quote from St. Francis of Assissi, the actual quote is “Let us begin,
brothers, to serve the Lord our God for up to now we have made little or no
progress.)
Since
my childhood everything that I have needed, everything that I have wanted was
given to me, and you since your childhood have looked, amidst tears for a
future that only perhaps will exist.
Bridge:
The Church is falling down. What am I doing? My brother is suffering. What am I
doing? Jesus is dying. What am I doing? What am I going to do? “Pa” (the Spanish onomatopoeia for a heart beat)
pa….my heart; pa….your heart, I never realized that; .pa….my heart beats and pa…..your heart is the same.
“Gentle Man” provides a bouncing melody adding color to the story
of a man who wants to believe. A personal, poignant story concludes the
collection with “Daddy’s Girl”, a heartfelt sharing of a youthful memory.
While a few songs are raw and under-produced (such is often
the norm for independently produced albums), most shine in their simplicity and
truth giving proof of a great ability to write a truly good song. As I again
listen to Keep Me, I agree with Baquet’s summation of her song collection –
‘honest’. Sarah Baquet’s liner note to
fans:
After searching for a word to
describe this project we finally settled on the word ‘honest.’ I hope that in
its honesty this album will bring you to a place of honesty before the Lord who
seeks us not as we wish to be, but as we are.
It is in this place of honesty that He reaches down His tender and
merciful hand to touch us. It is in this place that He beckons us to sanctity.
My hope is that those who listen will be inspired to seek Him and His will with
reckless abandon and in finding it will pursue it with the courage of the
Saints. Please join your prayer with mine in asking the Lord that NOTHING
‘keeps me,’ (keeps us) from Him!
SS Mertens
3.5 tocks
No comments:
Post a Comment