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Paul Colman Trio: "Return" Review | Posted April 30, 2011
2004 was a sad year for Paul Colman Trio fans, as the band announced after five years of an exhausting schedule of touring and recording that they would be taking a break as a performing group, identifying "financial and family considerations" as the main reasons. It seemed that the PC3 story had written its last chapter, but that was not to be. After reforming as a band in 2009, the Paul Colman Trio are back this year with the exciting announcement of a new Australia tour (in which I was privileged to attend) and the launch of a brand new full-length studio release, titled Return. I was thrilled to receive an autographed tour-exclusive copy of the album and I will be delivering my review for you today.
Return kicks off with the first single "I Don't Know Why", which is a rocking and extremely catchy track that speaks of heartfelt thankfulness towards the undeserved and life changing love that God shows us, describing it as "Unbreakable, unshakable love/Unfakeable, insatiable love/Impossible, wonderful...". The guys from PC3 make good use of the "Woah's" throughout the entire song, in turn adding an infectious element to the melody. Without a doubt, this song receives the label as one of the best career, as it truly accentuates their intent as a musical group. "Show Me The Real You" is an upbeat pop rock tune that speaks of the desire to know God and see his real truth. "Show me the real you, I wanna see the real you/...So love me with you real love/This broken heart can heal/I'm here for the real thing, and I wanna see the real you."
"The Gathering" speaks of a place where we can all unite, humbling ourselves before God and laying our burdens down before Him. "Come join the gathering, come join gathering/Lay your burden down, and get rest for your soul/Here in the gathering." By the time the last singing of the chorus comes around, the song builds up into a passionate collaboration, as the band's studio mixer Darrel Lehman and other friends of the band all harmonize in the background. This song even features a guest appearance from the legendary Phil Keaggy who delivers some excellent bluesy guitar work. "The Gathering" is my favourite track off the album because of its upbeat, worshipful vibe and the comforting message that we can come to God to lay our burdens down and receive rest for our souls.
"World You're Living In" is an upbeat rocking track that talks about how we can sometimes find it hard to understand the existence of God when our lives are consumed with pain. It uses the specific example of a girl who loses her father, and encourages us to invite the God of love into our lives. "That's the world you're living in/If there's a God above, a God of love/Why don't you let Him in?". "Wannabe" is a fun song that stands out for its hilarious and extremely clever lyrics. I couldn't help but laugh at these lyrics during the first verse, "Why don't 'ya take that fruit from the tree of life/And bake a hot apple pie?/And serve it out, give everybody a big slice." This song talks about the desire to be moving forward for God, and building your life on a strong foundation.
"5's & 6's" is a statement of intent from the band, as they explain their mission to not only sing about God's love, but be God's love. "Love don’t give up on me/Don’t hang up the phone on me/Love be the light in the darkest night/Come and reside in me/Fill every part of me/Turn all the wrongs into right." A big highlight of this song is the collaboration in the lead vocal role between bassist Grant Norsworthy and Paul Colman. Grant's vocals added variety to the project, as he has never had this role on any other PC3 album. "Salt Of The Earth" is based on Matthew 5:13 and relates back to what the band is passionate about, as it reminds the listener that we as
Christians can sometimes come across as devoutly religious instead of displaying the love of God in our daily lives. The band encourages us to display the work of God in our lives towards other people and preserve the fact that we've been created to be the salt of the earth.
"I-53" is literally Isaiah 53 transformed into a song, as it prophecies about Jesus' arrival on Earth to sacrifice himself for our iniquities. "Say Goodbye" stands out for its interesting thought-provoking lyrics during the chorus, "Say goodbye to so called freedom/Say goodbye, goodbye/Better cuts from friends than kissing enemies/So goodbye." The following song "Judge Judy" is a fun and upbeat track with more clever lyrics about the "mean and evil" courtroom autocratic. The album then closes on a high note with "Forever Friend", a fun song written to highlight the importance of friendship, and reflects on the journey that Paul, Grant and Phil have shared together since their formation in 1998. The beautiful classical guitar gives the song an almost romantic vibe, in turn ending the album in high spirits.
Overall, Return was an incredibly enjoyable listen. Filled with clever lyrics, upbeat melodies and emotional life lessons and classic PC3 songs such as "I Don't Know Why", this project will not dissappoint long time fans of Paul Colman Trio. The highlight of this album was how PC3 expressed what they're most passionate about; not just singing about God's love, but living a life that shows God's love. The Paul Colman Trio are back, and still singing about the greatest idea on Earth.
Top 3 Songs:
1. The Gathering
2. I Don't Know Why
3. Wannabe
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