One of the best things a rock star can do is have a “come to Jesus” moment. It’ll never not be divisive, ask Bob Dylan, but the wealth of culture, spirituality, and level-headed assuredness that comes from the idea of performing records for something far bigger than just yourself or your fans can be one heck of a driving creative force. Indie legend Sufjan Stevens is guilty of making an entire career out of covert Christian records, and most critics would agree that his music is some of the best on the market.
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Newcomer David Raybuck is joining the fold with his debut album The Prodigal finally arriving this month — functioning as a rock album with minor genre differentiation and fully Christian lyrics, it’s been a while since we’ve heard an album this self-assured and above the media circus.
The Prodigal is an album that transcends most typical purposes; for David Raybuck, the album exists as a way to pay it forward, having grown from being a non-believer with a rocky past to a pastor and man of God now looking to do the same for others. Each of the album’s fourteen tracks delivers on the brilliant promise of giving listeners outside of the Christian faith a rollicking rock track, but the double-sided nature of each song owning its Christian roots with heavy lyrical content is what allows The Prodigal to be such a sharp and well-made album.
There are the upbeat, poppier efforts such as album opener and first single “Hosanna” as well as “My Sufferings” and “Why I Sing,” as well as deeper tracks that detail Raybuck’s path to the church and the trauma and hurdles he’s faced, as well as the life he now has, such as “The Prodigy” and “In the Shadow of Your Wings.” There’s a lot of material to dig into and a first listen won’t do the record justice in that regard, but it’s a quick listen and more academic listeners will have a great time dissecting the project’s lyrics.
To arrive on the scene with a record this sharp and focused, with no real fat to shave off, that’s quite impressive. David Raybuck has been mulling over the album’s sequencing and I would love to hear tracks that didn’t make the final cut as everything on The Prodigal feels so tight and hand-selected. Raybuck’s passion shines through and serves as an infectious launchpad for those less intrigued by the idea of a religious record, and by the time the record ends, people might be having second thoughts about their misgivings due to the way the record can craft stories and narratives within its lyrical structures.
It seems to be the intention behind The Prodigal, anyways, as Raybuck extends a welcoming hand and warm hug to anyone who might need it. The Prodigal arrives when we all needed it most, and it was the exact warm hug to wash over my body and make me start debating what’s going on in that big universe of ours.
Heather Savage