With a voice as clear and fresh as the Alaskan air he grew up in, Tanner Hotchkiss is a worthy artist to add to your devotional playlist.
Time Stands Still appears to be only a smooth, easy-listening experience at first listen until you realize the impact of the words you’re casually singing along with. Hotchkiss isn’t in a hurry to reach a climax nor is he squeezing the drama out of the lyrically power-packed portions of his songs. Instead, he systematically builds and layers intensity to create a swell, lifting the listener to the ecstasy of redemptive truth. His 7 song album is filled with gentle declarations, the kind which hook themselves in the walls of the soul, sweetly murmuring long after you unplug your headphones.
Tanner’s God is displayed as a being worthy of devotion, a beating heart of sweetness that fills the deepest woundings of the soul. His song Leaves reveals a heart fully romanced and fully healed by the restorative love of the Father. Set in a simple 6/8 time, it exhibits healing’s wooing call, something frequently forgotten in the fast-paced drive of American Christianity.
Be Still stands, simple and clear in the artist’s revelation of God’s love. Tanner turns his back to the emotional overload songs about love tend to rush into and instead faithfully mulls over, almost to himself, the gentle reminders that have held him steadfast through the years. Whether through a song of victory (It is Written), desire (Glory to Glory), or faith (All Good Things) the album offers intimate and personal pieces of Tanner’s heart-conversations with his Creator.
The Mayo Clinic states that the normal resting heart rate for an average adult is anywhere from 60-100 bpm (beats per minute), noting a lower resting heart rate indicates a more efficient cardiovascular system. Time Stands Still averages 60 bpm as a whole, its pulses creating an atmosphere conducive to rest. It’s hard to be in a rush while listening to Tanner’s artistry; he beckons the listener into a meditative state, establishing a safety with steady piano and guitar accompaniment. After 45 minutes, the listener emerges, hopeful, inspired, reborn.
Don’t expect to hear any risks in the 45 minute album- it has been carefully constructed to be free of disruption and surprise. Tanner sticks with what he knows, providing a capable and solid musical foundation as a ring setting for the gem that is his voice. And it works; nothing sticks out and we’re left with a timeless piece of musical jewelry, full of light and beauty.
Buy “Time Stands Still” here: https://itun.es/us/C02t9
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