Jubilee

Ten Shekel Shirt | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 19, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rounder / Umgd
• ASIN: B001APM45S
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #220,342 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Jubilee

2. Surprised

3. Fragile

4. Spark

5. Higher Ground

6. En Garde

7. Wartime Lullaby

8. Love from a Lesser God

9. You Rescue

10. Daylight

11. It's Slavery

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available.
Genre: Popular Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 19-AUG-2008

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful Christian music, July 15, 2009

By 

Jennifer Bogart "@ Quiverfullfamily.com" (Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jubilee (Audio CD)

From the first time I heard the opening slide of slippery steel guitar strings of the title track, I realized that Ten Shekel Shirt serves up something that's largely outside of typical praise and worship songs.

Introspective, and at times melancholy, Jubilee somehow captures a depth of reflective thought that is largely missing from the Christian music genre. True, there are upbeat tunes, catchy choruses, and personal reflections on the walk of faith - but there are also songs addressing slavery, recovery from abuse, and poverty.

Lamont Hiebert, the band's lead vocalist and songwriter became radicalized in the late `90s after hearing reports of child trafficking and slavery. The founding of a charitable organization (Love146) to provide aftercare for rescued child slaves and to help prevent further child abductions, followed his trip to South East Asia in 2002. That passionate dedication to put feet on his faith flows as a theme throughout the album, with many of the songs dedicated to survivors of abuse, exploitation, and slavery.

However Hiebert's lyrics are surprisingly understated considering his dedication. Far from repeatedly pounding listeners to get involved, the tracks on the CD are a blend of social action tunes, themes of personal redemption and deliverance, and even love songs. Ranging from punchy to breathy, Hiebert's versatile tenor tackles the "la da da da da's" in "Warmtime Lullaby" and plaintive wailings of "Higher Ground" with equal amounts of finesse.

Of the eleven tracks on the disc, "You Rescue" is perhaps the most blatant faith-based song with a chorus including the phrase "'Cause you rescue, you redeem, you save, you intervene." Hiebert's faith is certainly found in most of the songs, but it is often blended into the lyrics as part of his life and world view, rather than songs of straightforward praise and worship. This approach is somewhat different than many of my listening choices, but I found that the subtlety offered in many of the tracks led to a deeper appreciation of the message and context of each song.

Several musical styles are often juxtaposed and layered within the songs. "It's Slavery" features a nearly abrasive, alternative sound with a very faint underlying melody - nearly indistinguishable, that tends towards the symphonic. "Jubilee" alternates between a very pared down, thoughtful guitar and drum accompaniment and an upbeat, hope-filled euro-rock sound.

Very few of the tracks on Jubillee are easy to digest. It's impossible to gain any appreciation for Hiebert's work without spending time immersed in the music and reflecting contemplatively upon it.

Don't leave with the wrong impression; Ten Shekel Shirt doesn't come off as pretentious. Jubileesimply doesn't offer up instant appeal, quick up-lift, fast-food pop choruses that are immediately `sticky', the disc invites digging in, settling down, and interacting with the music and message. I for one appreciate the difference and continue to slot in hours of playtime of the group's music.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christian Love In Action, September 6, 2008

By 

Geoffrey H. Gentry (Burlington, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jubilee (Audio CD)

For too long the Church of Jesus Christ has stepped away from politics, away from social issues, away from the world. But Christ called us to be in this world but not of it. He called us to be His ambassadors for the Kingdom. I'm am so glad groups like Ten Shekel Shirt (as well as Jars of Clay and Caedmon's Call) are out their using their music and their influence to bring about change. It has taken groups like U2 and Coldplay to open our eyes to the issues of the world. Ten Shekel Shirt takes the issues of slavery, bondage, human trafficking, and debt and fought against them. Their fight comes forth in their lyrics. This is a bold and solid CD. It deserves as much airplay and recognition as Coldplay's Viva La Vida.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Passion, August 22, 2008

By 

R. Prince (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jubilee (Audio CD)

Lamont has produced an authentic life anthology expressed with creative intelligence and passion. The album is more than a collection of great songs. It is a concert that weaves the strands of life into a cohesive whole. Moving from the innocent victim, to self-inflicted pain, to restorative faith, to justice, to sensual love, to the exhortation that "we've got to come through" this album transcends musical categorization and expresses life lived on the front line. The musicianship, arrangements and recording quality reflect the passion of the songs and the life that they emanate from.