Spirit In The Streams; Springsteen, Dawes, Blitzen Trapper, Kaiser – For those with ears to hear.

By John J. Thompson

 

When “revival” gripped America and parts of Europe in the late 60s and early 70s, one of its earliest manifestations was a unique new type of music. It sounded much like the folk, light-pop, and rock and roll of the day. The difference was in the text. These songs, often very cheaply recorded, featured lyrics that reflected an earnest and enthusiastic vision of Jesus as a decidedly counter-cultural figure. He was the long-haired proto-hippie offering the ultimate version of peace, hope, and love to a generation rocked by racial injustice, police brutality, political corruption, assassinations, terrorism, drug addiction, and the upending of America’s identity.

 

Sound familiar?

 

Millions eschewed the traditional religion of their elders. They embraced a personal, denim-clad faith that, though it quickly evolved into its own institutional expression, was birthed from genuine seeking born of genuine dismay. Millions of boomers had tried the free sex thing, and the drug thing, and even the trendy Eastern Religion of the Day thing, and found it wanting. But Jesus – when presented in a culturally relevant way – cut through the fog. Kids got baptized in the ocean by the scores while surf-pop bands sang Jesus songs on the shore. They put on musicals in London and passed out playbills in the street. They created communes with their concept of Jesus at the center.

 

Whether music fueled this revival, reflected it, or both, the Jesus Movement and corresponding Jesus Music were a big enough cultural phenomenon to make the cover of Time Magazine and draw hundreds of thousands to festivals – including Youth For Christ’s Explo ’72 in Dallas. That event, which featured Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson alongside innovative contemporary Gospel star Andrae Crouch and the “father of Jesus Rock,” Larry Norman, drew national media coverage and was likely the spark that ignited the birth of contemporary Christian music as a genre. But artists from well outside the Christian community’s confines were impacted by the spirit of the era as well. Jesus started to show up on the radio – “normal” radio – sometimes by name, but often by inference. Jackson Browne, Leon Russell, Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, Dylan, Black Sabbath, Randy Newman, Tommy James, and even various Beatles reflected the spiritual search in their songs – often landing somewhere near the cross and a certain carpenter when they did. Before there was such a thing as “Christian music,” there were all kinds of songs reflecting the kind of “Christ-hauntedness” that the brilliant author Flannery O’Connor describes in her book Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose. While O’Connor was talking about Southern authors subconsciously reflecting the influence of The Church in their work, it’s impossible not to see Sabbath, Hendrix, Zeppelin, or The Dead as being similarly haunted at times.

 

Once a separate, safe industry was created for that kind of stuff, though, the hauntings seemed to end. With a few notable exceptions, the Jesus Movement morphed into the megachurch era in the same way non-religious hippies became lawyers and yuppies. Ever since Constantine, it seems the devil has learned that coopting is far more effective than direct extermination.

 

Might it be possible that today, in a world rocked by the same litany of woes that had us by the throat half a century ago, and with barely any “Christian music industry” left that does not exclusively produce, distribute, and promote congregational worship music, we may be ready for a revival?  A quick perusal of new releases would suggest that yes, that might be the case. In my forty years paying close attention to these things, I can’t recall a time when as many mainstream rock, pop, and alternative artists have been paying such close, creative attention to matters of spirit and faith. With great uncertainty comes introspection. There are many songs out there that resonate on a very deep and true level for those with ears to hear, regardless of denominational affiliation.

 

Here’s a quick review of four new releases from the last few months – mostly from artists that are outside of anything associated with “Christian music,” but all offering up fascinatingly “Christ-haunted,” or in some cases flat-out Gospel-oriented songs out there in the “real world.”

 

While he has long played with spiritual images and has even spoken about his Catholic faith, Bruce Springsteen’s new Letter To You album is soulful on a whole other level. This album would qualify for a Dove Award if it were submitted for one. It’s telling that one of the most fascinating faith-forward tunes, “If I Was The Priest,” which imagines Jesus as a sheriff in the Old West and the singer as a minister, feels both critical right now on a theological level, and timeless. It’s also fun to find out that the song was written in 1972 and was part of Springsteen’s original audition! This whole collection, recorded live in the studio with the E Street Band over just four days, is thoughtful, inspiring, and affirming. It’s as if even The Boss is thinking about the same things the rest of us are. Oh, and “The Power Of Prayer” is a must hear for those of us who have been doing it wrong.

 

Speaking of the 70s, Dawes wasn’t there – but they are good enough to have been. Their new LP Good Luck With Whatever, which returns sonically and emotionally to their earlier styles, is graceful, comforting, and profoundly artful. There is not a skip-song on the entire set. The lyrics reflect the kind of careful songcraft that Newman, Browne, Nilsson, and others perfected in the 70s – but with a distinctly contemporary spirit. “Didn’t Fix Me” is their latest breathtaking tune. It dares to confess to the things we think will bring us healing and peace. Seriously, this is one of the most essential bands making music, and anyone not taking time with their music is missing out.

 

I promise to stop talking about Blitzen Trapper as soon as they start phoning it in like most bands. But with Holy Smokes Future Jokes, the Portland band performs some fantastic sleight of hand. While on the surface, they sound more chill than ever – a more in-depth examination reveals a level of lyrical and compositional bravery that, at times, takes me back to Furr and at others sounds unlike anything they have done. And while this is another band that has frequently leaned hard into spiritual themes, they hit a whole other level here. Brilliantly and poetically exploring the potential difference between hallucination and reality, expectations and realizations, and seeking and finding – Eric Early and company are doing something extraordinary. When the final track, “Hazy Morning,” kicks in, with hints of a 70s California country tune in the background and the opening line, “I’m driving my head, remember what you said, that God is either dead or may be coming right up behind me,” I just have to hit repeat and play this thing over and over. Fans of Daniel Amos, in particular, really need to let this band under their skin.

There’s a lot more out there. I recently posted reviews of new projects by The Killers and Psychedelic Furs, for instance. If you’ve been listening to the weekly True Tunes Gallery Stage Mixtape, you’ve heard new releases by Justin Bieber, The Rolling Stones, Avett Brothers, Avenged Sevenfold, Smashing Pumpkins, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Delta Spirit, Leon Bridges, Sinead O’Connor, Bastille, Steve Earle, Brenden Bensen, Atreyu, and so many others. Like – HUNDREDS of others. What’s going on?

 

Is it possible that, like in the 60s, artists are articulating the questions we all have? Is it possible that artists outside of institutional Christianity have a better feel for the questions, fears, and longings happening in the hearts of people than those who have retreated to the perceived safety of the church during the culture wars? Could it be that this outpouring of thoughtful, seeking, spiritually interesting art reflects an openness happening in the hearts and minds of our neighbors? A quote that is dubiously attributed to Plato says, “If you want to measure the spiritual depth of society, make sure to mark its music.” I don’t know who actually said that, but it’s true. And if the music coming from certain quarters of the mainstream right now is any indication, our culture is ready for some counter-intuitive, justice-loving, Jesus-focused love and truth right now.

Interestingly, one artist who traces his roots to the Jesus Movement and seems never to have left it behind has a new record out now as well. Glenn Kaiser (Resurrection Band) recently released a beautifully caustic collection of stripped-down blues songs called Swamp Gas Messiahs that speak directly to the Christian community’s political and cultural hypocrisy.  When coupled with Kaiser’s concrete and soul voice, the songs (backed up by fifty years of inner-city ministry) combine to create the most authentic, critical, and respectable “Christian” records in recent memory. Its barbed-wire tone would likely win over many younger indie-folk ears as well. Kaiser, who has been part of the Jesus People USA community in Uptown Chicago since the early 1970s, was one of the early Jesus Rock pioneers and helped to launch the hugely influential Cornerstone Festival, fills the much-needed role of troubadour theologian and protest singer like no one else could.

All I can say for sure is that there is more great music coming from the “deep end” right now than I have ever heard. It makes sense, considering where we are all at. Maybe the fact that the non-worship side of the Christian music industry has shut down means those ghettos are closed up. There are no special stores, no special radio stations, and no special magazines. In this streaming world, we are all just a click away. The only boundaries keeping thoughtful, spiritually informed, musically adventurous artists from reaching all of us are the boundaries we set up for ourselves and sheer chaos.

We will continue to plumb those depths for you – and if you discover stuff, let us know so we can add it to the weekly mix.

(The mix is updated on most Wednesdays with roughly 40 new songs every week. The previous list is added to the massive Archive Mix (now over 3,800 songs) when the list is updated.)

Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit In The Sky” brought the Jesus Movement to the radio in a big way in the early 70s. With streaming opening up options, the spirit may be in the streams, now, but its still out there. Who’s listening?