Customer Reviews

Keep the Faith

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I wasn't sure what to expect from "Keep the Faith" after reading some less-than-glowing reviews. As usual, I'm glad in retrospect that I chose to ignore the opinions of the critics.

I think Toni's first three albums were terrific and unique efforts for their times. In particular, "House of Hope" was amazing, and remains in my all-time top ten albums. This release differs in tone. On the first three, she really seemed out to push the envelope and create a kind of music that was a void in the marketplace... sometimes with world music, sometimes highly conceptualized, but typically off the beaten path.

On "Keep the Faith", Toni sounds as though she really enjoyed making the music instead of having labored over creating it. The songs are, for the most part, upbeat and sometimes quite inspirational. There is a sincerity in her voice (still wonderful, by the way) that makes the lyrics really resonate. And as for the lyrics, I think some of the songs are among her best in that regard. I did not expect to enjoy a song entitled "I Saw God in the Supermarket", but it's a really great track. The title track is a terrific opener, and the closer, "Because You're Beautiful" (which she recorded a few years back for a TV documentary and for which she won an Emmy) is a great finish to a very satisfying listen. Frankly, it's rare that I enjoy every track on anyone's album, so this was a pleasant surprise.

I originally set out to rate this four stars, simply by comparison to "House of Hope", but after writing this and thinking how much I've enjoyed repeated listening the past couple of days, I think it ranks five in my book. Not groundbreaking, but extremely enjoyable.

I think it's a safe bet that if you enjoyed her earlier music then you're in for a treat with this new album. The emotion is less raw than the earlier work, but nothing is missing. Her emotional force is now controlled by a stronger and more capable artist. As for the religious theme; she says, "believing is much harder than you think it is". This is hardly the smug ranting of somebody who has got religion. Toni Childs is too buzzy exploring her own spirituality to preach. I don't miss the synthesizers and the cello is beautiful. I really enjoyed the whole album!

Toni Childs' new CD is a passionate tour de force. One might assume with the title "Keep the Faith" that this might be a religious album. While there is a spiritual theme repeated lyrically, it is not preachy in any conventional sense. Childs' voice is compelling, laden with pain & joy. Now located on Kauai, Childs' songwriting is raw & burning. Her website says that some of these songs were written in 1997 when she toured the West Coast. The opener churns with an anthem to friendship, "It's hard to keep the faith while all around you is falling; It's hard to keep the faith when all around you is scared." "I Saw God in the Supermarket" puts a smile on my face with its infectious rock beat and driving guitars, "I saw God on television, he had a ring in his nose, wearing Nike tennis shoes; Boy that boy could sing the blues." "Long before there were two fathers in the sky, words did not confuse & everything was just one lie," Toni sings on the lovely "One Life" that churns with dueling guitars. "Blind" boldly protests lack of communication, "You're squashing all the love out; It ain't what you need." The seven-minute "Heart That Matters" sits at the heart of the album and contains amazing vocals that brim with compassion and ache. "Dream that We Dream Of" has a simple melody with Childs' gorgeous passion breaking in her voice, "Broken wings and some broken dreams can keep me from seeing what love has to bring; So I'm burning the candle right here in my heart, I must believe." "Revolution" rocks joyfully, "Living with the poor man; Living out of trash cans." "When All Is Said & Done" is another amazing track that builds with Childs' vocals moving to high gear on full wail, "I hear you call in the middle of the night, in the middle of my fall*, and I know that you're the one that I'm running to." "Because You're Beautiful" concludes the CD with what could be a companion piece to Carole King's classic song "Beautiful." "Keep the Faith" is an excellent set that shows depth, passion and great talent. Welcome back, Toni! Bravo!

*according to my ear

Is all that I wanted from Toni Childs, great music, great lyrics, lovly voice with deep emotions, sense and sensibility and some songs with fun lyrics and music. like always lovely.

Toni childs is one the most overlooked talents in the music world. "Union", "House of Hope",and, "The Womans Boat" are masterpieces of human emotion. It is such a shame this amazing woman was not creating more music thru this last decade. I saw her perform at the supper club in NYC...she was incredible. This new CD changes course a bit....as we all must. But it has it`s own depth and conviction. The world beat themes are missing, but are in fact replaced by maturity and growth. This disc shines with it`s own prism of light. Welcome back Toni!

Toni Childs' newest CD is sensational in that it has the same rare quality as all her previous CD's, but also shows a new side --- which is an honor to hear. She is a bit more mellow, but unmistakably Toni. I find myself listening to this CD daily. She shows courage and talent to share this side of her. I have been hoping for something new from her, and feel, among other things, comforted by her growth. Any true Toni Childs' fan will be sincerely fulfilled by this CD. This CD is one of her finest works. Thank you, Toni.

Similar to what another reviewer mentioned, "Union" and "House of Hope" are in my personal "Top 50" albums, so I've been looking forward to "Keep The Faith" since I first heard about it a long while back.

The world music aspect of her earlier work is missing, but her voice and lyrics still make a great impact with the more conventional style of these tracks. It's a strong album from start to finish. If you like her voice, I'm sure you'll love this new music from this very talented woman.

Welcome back, Toni - we missed you!

Toni's House of Hope and Union albums have taken up permanent residence in my cd player. I was surprised to learn that she was recording again - I'd just about lost all hope that she would put out another album. So I downloaded her latest with great anticipation.
Perhaps with multiple plays this one will grow on me, but there's something different in her sound, in her voice, in the production. She's still a strong singer, her lyrics are still emotionally charged and powerful. But the delivery has softened, the raw edge she promoted on her first two releases is what drew me in to love her work. Her throaty froggy voice.. is gone. Every now and then in this new release, I hear a shadow of it.. but it's just not there like it used to be. It's a disappointment, because I had high hopes for this new release. I'll keep listening, I'll keep following Toni's work. I'm glad she's healed and recovered from her illness with enough strength to record new works for her loyal audience. I consider myself one among them.. But from the prospective of one of her long time fans, this is not her best work.. To say she's aged to a finer quality like wine isn't true in this case.. Welcome back Toni.. keep writing. Keep sharing your causes to bring healing to the world. You're a powerful voice.

Toni Childs returns after 15 years with her fourth album, "Keep The Faith". What has changed? Can Toni still hold her own? Is she relevant? How does this album compare to her first three?

To begin, I was 16 when Toni released her exceptional debut, 1988's "Union". I continued to buy Toni with her 1991 follow up "House Of Hope", and her third, 1994's "The Woman's Boat". Then she disappeared.

"Keep The Faith" is Toni Childs stripped down. Noticeably absent are the synthesizers that added great texture and atmosphere to her early work. This has both positive and negative effects. For example, with the stripped down acoustics and organic instrumentation, Childs' vocals are front and center, and she hasn't lost any quality over the years. This is the good news. Her vocals even sound better today than they did on her earlier work. The downfall to the stripped production is that the songs are not compelling and tend to blend into each other without being very memorable or exciting. If you are going to do an acoustic album you have to have something that grabs your listening audience like a Tracy Chapman or some of John Mellencamp's work.

"Keep The Faith" is an adult contemporary work. It doesn't challenge the listener with unusual time signatures or unique soundscapes. The lyrics are typical of Toni Childs, but they are not surrounded by interesting arrangements.

The best songs here are her ballads "Keep The Faith", "Heart That Matters" and the one song that sounds most like Childs' earlier work "Because You're Beautiful". The rest of the songs are good, but nothing special, leading the album to be a bit disappointing considering the talent involved. Strong vocals, some great songs, and a bunch of mediocre songs end up making "Keep The Faith" a pleasant album of background noise at a high class dinner party.

Here's my comparison chart for "Keep The Faith":

1988 Union: Five Stars
1991 House Of Hope: Five Stars
1994 The Woman's Boat: Four Stars
2009 Keep The Faith: Three Stars

I'm hoping that Toni will produce more music more quickly as I don't think "Keep The Faith" is a strong example of what Childs can do.

Toni Childs is back! She's recording a new album and will be touring soon! She is on facebook and would love to get to know you, so say hello. The real Toni Childs!!! YAY!!!!!!!!