Customer Reviews

We Walked In Song

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After listening to the Innocence Mission for 17 years, I've heard only 2 mediocre songs out of several dozen. Not one misfire can be found on their latest effort, which offers a spare, mellifluous, and aching, melancholy stream of excellent songs. I still think their album "Glow" is their masterpiece as the lush soundscape gives their songs a beautiful color. But for spare folk melancholy, you can't go wrong here. If you like this type of plaintive, nostalgic music, you might also want to check out Emiliana Torrini, Coastal, The Clientele, Camera Obscura, Blueboy, the Sundays, and the Trash Can Sinatras.

I was introduced to the Innocence Mission when BIRDS OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD first came out. I have eagerly anticipated every new release since then and have found their musical, and lyrical abilities to have expanded and matured with time. To me, this album is a crowning masterpiece--it totally blew me away the first time I listened to it. It captures raw and tender emotions that Karen, who strikes me as being gentle and restrained, honestly and accurately expresses in her music and lyrics, just as Joni Mitchell did with BLUE. From beginning to end, listening to WE WALKED IN SONG completely engages me, makes me cry, and ultimately makes me smile and hope for a better world in which people are more thoughtful of and connected with each other.

If you have the rare chance to see them in concert, do it--the warmth of their personalities and their amazing talent is even more impressive in person. They will be performing in both Philadelphia and New York in April, with hopefully more dates being added later this spring and summer.

Buy this album (and their other earlier releases) and prepare to be moved...

The Innocence Mission have reached a milestone with their 9th studio album, We Walked in Song, comfortably surpassing a 20-year recording span that began in 1986 with their obscurely released EP, "Tending the Rose Garden" and their self-titled debut album in 1989.

During these 20 years, their music has progressed from production heavy alterna-rock to sparsely arranged folk. And it's safe to say, with time seemingly flying by, that life events have played a significant role in defining the Innocence Mission's current signature. With Steve Brown leaving the band to manage a restaurant, to Mike Bitts and the married duo of Karen & Don Peris spending the majority of their time raising their children, it's no wonder the group has evolved as they have.

But With the joy of childbirth also comes an evitable sorrow. Badman's Dylan Magierek says,"Sometime after the passing of her father, Karen began to write some of the most beautiful and heartfelt material I have heard from the band. I believe she turned to songwriting as a way of coping with this great loss, which was compounded with the loss of her mother a few years ago, and celebrating those she loves in her life." It's these influences that culminate and live on in "We Walked in Song", an album of eleven new songs.

The album commences with "Brotherhood of Man", in which Karen speaks of connectedness to strangers in everyday moments. Her genuinely sincere lyrics flow appropriately with a facile vocal melody, which is surrounded by an intricate yet delicate web of guitars, organ and upright bass. As the album progresses however, I find "Brotherhood of Man" is often times disguised by the inherent strength of the rest of their album.

Dedicated to Anna (Don and Karen's daughter), "Happy Birthday" is a warmly touching self-penned acoustic composition, borrowing lyrics from the past with a visible smile:

"When you wake up it will be the beginning of the world. Happy birthday, beautiful, in the fields of this day hear a song, hear a song. Oh, undeserved sweetness and light, stay by my side. We will go out in the morning now, a crown of maple leaves, a crown of flowers circling your sweet head."

If you listen closely, you can hear Karen smiling. It's at that moment, no matter how bad a day you've had, that you crack a smile. Smiles are contageous.

Dedicated to Drew (Don and Karen's son), "Love That Boy" harkens back to Befriended's "When Mac Was Swimming" with a 60's cocktail flavor sure to hook you with its lively enticing melody. The title is actually borrowed from the poem by Walter Dean Myers.

"Into Brooklyn, Early in the Morning" would be my wife's favorite song, provided the title were more truth than symbolic. It's just her way of saying, "I'd live in Brooklyn...anywhere in NYC would be fine with me." Of course I'm paraphrasing, but it's hard to think of something other than: Spike Lee, the Knicks, the subway, the unnecessity of owning a car, the hustle and bustle. My wife loves that stuff, but I'm a bit uninterested. I'll take the symbolic version with the the pump organ and the cool "ba ba-ba baaa..." backing vocals any day, however I have a strange feeling that one day, early in morning, I may wake up and find myself in Brooklyn.

There's a lot more to "Lake Shore Drive" than I could have imagined at first listen. For the longest time, I believed that Steve Brown would be back on drums. Either I misinterpreted a conversation from last year, or something happened and it just wasn't possible. Despite my dissapointment, I was happy to see Hunter Johnson listed in the credits for playing drums on this track. Hunter had performed live with Don in 2006, as well as on Don's album "Go When the Morning Shineth". But as suprising as this news was, I was just as surprised by the opening of the track, which instantly reminded me of the Arrogants "Let You Down". It's just a simple set of electric guitar arpeggios, which themeatically reappear and are expanded on with a Robert Buck-esque solo at the tail end of the track.

"Let's go Tom. The weather's here but you are strong. The wax tears on your raincoat come from candles when we walked in song. Oh you'll never lose that light though so much is gone."

Even in this brief portion of lyrics, it's obvious that Karen is quite adept at creating visuals. "Let's Go Tom" not only supplies the album's title, but also embraces her father's memory in a way that listeners will compassionately appreciate.

Memorable and enchanting. "Since I Still Tell You My Every Day" brings to mind (in a very good way mind you), "Tonight You Belong to Me" from the movie The Jerk. Without the ukulele, the guitar strumming still sounds quite similar. But it's the lyrics that set the songs apart:

"All my life I don't find anyone like you. I wish you'd be at Bethany. I wish you'd come to violin with me. Since I still tell you my every day, all these things I want you to be a part of, darling, you'll be."

"A Wave is Rolling" could easily be dismissed by name alone, but the track itself is far less commonplace.

"There are the days I cannot know or understand, a piano in a moving van, way behind at the light. And a wave is rolling over a wave is moving over a wave is rolling over me, over me."

It's an honest and emotional ride which drives to a climax that never quite occurs, but instead leaves the listener with a feeling of empathy. The word soundtrack comes to mind. It's quite possibly one of the most touching songs I've ever heard.

"Blue could be a winter coat or the sea, Lake Maureen, a window or a downpour on my street. This bit of yellow could be a leaf or a beam of light, a girl in a taxi."

The lyrics and melody to "Colors of the World" skillfully compliment the instrumental counterpart creating a mellow and hypnotic-like aura which would seemingly fall back to Earth with the next track "Over the Moon", but only the title of the track would suggest otherwise.

If there could be a compliment to "A Wave is Rolling", I would include "My Sisters Return from Ireland" as one of them; yet another perfect addition to a soundtrack somewhere. I can't quite put a finger on it, but there's also something quite familiar about this song, as though you've heard it before, but for the first time. It's comforting...relaxing, yet the perfect way to say good-bye.

Although We Walked in Song may only be a short stroll for some, I do have a saying that I like to use on occasion: "There are certain constants in the universe, but subjectivity isn't one of them." This essentially means, what one person may think is the "best" another may think is the "worst". We Walked in Song may or may not be the band's finest album to date depending on who you ask. I tend to prefer their recordings with Steve Brown. But even if this album is not your cup of tea, there are plenty enough treasured moments to connect with..that with each note, each word and each phrase that, in my opinion, are worth every tiny sip.

Keith Abbott
Webmaster, The Innocence Mission Discography 3.0

The Innocence Mission is one of those groups that, on certain occasion, I find their sound flawless (namely 'Birds of my Neighborhood'), which is why it was something of a let-down to hear the tracks of 'We Walked In Song'. While the songs are, as to be expected, beautiful, lyrically-rich and enjoyable to listen to, these songs just didn't blow me away as much as some of their earlier albums have. Just my 2 cents.

The Innocence Mission have evolved to greatness. Starting with "Birds of my Neighborhood" the band took their "mission" in a new direction and began to document their personal lives in song with only minimal heartfelt musical arrangements. "Befriended" was indeed another triumph for the band and Karen Peris' lyrics took on new dimension and depth -- each song carefully crafted to evoke delicate emotion around joy, hope, and loss. "We Walked in Song" picks right up. The Peris' children are growing up and it is reported Karen Peris lost her father and it is all documented beautifully here in song -- "beautiful life, full of grieving" on one of the recordings best tracks "Into Brooklyn, Early in the Morning" sums up the skills of Peris' songwriting which always captures joy's partner, sorrow. The contribution of Don Peris can't be overlooked or minimized in any way for his guitar playing supports these beautiful lyrics is a way that can't be described but must be heard. "Lake Shore Drive" is vintage IM with the lyric "It seems the right time, to let go of the steep incline, of this day and to know you're mine, forever and I will be fine." All wrapped up in Don Peris gorgeous shimmering guitar playing. Hopefully fans will be lucky to hear from this band for years to come.

Without a doubt, this is the Innocence Mission's most homogenic work to date. All of the songs are in the same mode, carry a similar tone, blend melodically and stylistically. Listen to the lyrics: Every single one of these songs is about Unity, or Friendship, or both.

Though the Innocence Mission really -can- rock out when they want to do so (e.g., Black Sheep Wall on their eponymous 1980s release), they CHOOSE not to in this offering. The orchestrations are simple, in line with past works Small Planes and Befriended. Karen Peris is largely unaccompanied, making much of the album feel like a delicious, confessional solo. If one were forced to name the music genre encapsulating all the tracks on this CD, it would be 'Folk'--and that would be correct, albeit an oversimplification. Nuanced and subtle, these songs are mellow in the extreme, but very surprising. How can that be?

The prior release from The Innocence Mission, Now The Day Is Over, was also very laid back. However, those tracks were Lullabies--one EXPECTS them to be serene and inspire a soporific effect. By contrast, these hymns to friendship and unity are completely unusual and unexpected. The beauty of this set includes Karen Peris' clear-as-a-bell intonations of the lyrics. One need not refer to the liner notes, to discern the unusually-selected, poetic words and phrases comprising these songs. A careful listen is all it takes--and the reward is immense. How can songs so gentle, so peaceful, surprise and delight the ears?

Take a listen for yourself--you will be surprised at your thoughts, blossoming in response.

The songs on We Walked shimmer with the kind of quiet early-evening light that has fireflies just beginning to flicker and the last rays of sunlight filtering through the trees. Singer Karen Peris' delicate vocals, at turns lithe and languid, are minimally accompanied, often by just a guitar or two. Of course the guitars and bass are played superbly by Don Peris and Mike Bitts respectively. An example of how well they mesh together is one of my favorites among the new songs, "Happy Birthday." It begins with a softly strummed acoustic guitar before Karen starts singing, leading to a chorus that's completely enchanting, with a fine interplay of guitar and vocals. Other tunes such "Song for Tom" and "Colors of the World" are similarly appealing. The trio does bring in keyboards, electric guitars and even drums on occasion, but always to tasteful effect. In all, We Walked In Song is a welcome addition to the already rich Innocence Mission body of work. We can enjoy these songs for awhile, but I also have an idea for the next I.M. album - a collection of all covers. As much as I've liked their original music from the beginning, I've also really dug many of their cover tunes over the years. I can think of some fairly obvious choices for this "dream CD" -- and some less obvious too.

Finding opportunities for peaceful reflection in life's everyday moments, this is a buoyant and meditative album that gently uplifts. Highlights are 'Brotherhood of Men' and 'Song for Tom,' genial and lulling songs that showcase the fragile and beguiling beauty of Karen Peris' voice. She is captivating even when she sings, "You are my friend, though words will fail me here again," imbuing guilelessness and earnest conviction in those simplest of lyrics.

'Into Brooklyn, Early in the Morning' captures the spirit of 60's folk rock without sounding contrived. It is a lively, masterfully crafted song with lots of emotional highs, from the warm, soaring notes of Don Peris' guitar, to the surprising drums making their climactic entry late in the song, and the motif of retro organs and background vocals that build up and punctuate Peris' wonderfully idiosyncratic lyrics. "Beautiful life, full of grieving, so will sing the Russian choir." Peris' voice has never sounded more cherubic. I haven't figured out what the song is about exactly, although for me it evokes nostalgia for a time and place barely fathomable today -- innocent, idealistic, and tragic.

On 'A Wave is Rolling,' Peris revisits familiar themes that pervaded their earlier work, Befriended. "The time of mistakes - will it ever change to another time, like a season when the snow will slide off the house and leave the house clean?" She seems to be almost drowned by her passive witness to her suffering, although the exuberant tone of the song suggests a rising above through perseverance.

'My Sisters Return from Ireland' is a dreamy, drifting song that perfectly closes the album. It is a compelling album despite a few instances that border on the saccharine. We Walked in Song is both outclassed by its predecessor (Befriended) and eclipsed by its successor (My Room In The Trees), but still offers a very heartwarming experience from beginning to end.

Pretty good album of a group I've been following for years. Don't know how I missed it when it was first released but I think my collection is now complete.

Thanks.

if we had justice in this world THE INNOCENCE MISSION would be getting grammy awards every time they do a record.

on WE WALKED IN SONG they take some big musical jumps forward- this just isn't "some new songs, same sound" they show growth by experimentation with new and more indie sounds... a little Brian Wilson at some times more overall it sounds like they had been listening to a lot of Belle&Sebastian... and works on them.