Yes, I’m late to the Peterson party, but may I make amends with my lavish and heartfelt respect for this stellar, thoughtful project? As I made my way through these ten profound tracks, I thought of Paul Simon and C.S. Lewis (probably for the first time together). Peterson’s vocals have the same warm intelligence as Simon’s, and like Lewis, he’s a bit of an allegorist. I hate to make assumptions about an artist’s intentions, but I can speak to the affects of his art on my own consciousness: the rich world he describes and illustrates throughout “The Far Country,” but especially on tracks like “All Shall Be Well” and the spectacular “The Havens Grey,” uplifts me. My own spirit swells and rises as I imagine along with him “the top of the world,” from the deeply descriptive images of “All Shall Be Well”.
Mined from Meister Eckhart’s insightful quotation about “God being at home, while we are in the far country,” Peterson’s sixth album taps into our buried longing for return. The pristinely produced opening title track introduces this theme amid melodic rock changes enhanced by some of the most particular instrumentation I’ve heard in a while. Between the splashy drums, the thumping bass line, and producer Ben Shive’s sharp keys, Peterson’s warm vocals call out for connection. The lyrically incisive “Lay Me Down” examines the dichotomy of a man deeply connected with his small section of the earth while still yearning for the land of his hope and imagination. “Queen of Iowa,” a song of Peterson and Shive’s visit with a woman dying of AIDS, is richly nuanced, both musically and emotionally. On a side note, I have to mention Ben Shive’s contributions as both keyboardist and producer, and their impact in making “The Far Country” as exceptional as it is.
I love the literary references sprinkled throughout, covering Lewis, Tolkien, and Scripture, always sensitively, as well as the album’s nimble electric expressions. I guess I always saw Peterson as more laid back musically; clearly a serious error on my part. A master writer, he is equally energetic as a player. Lovely and lush, standout track “The Havens Grey” stunned me with its lyrical considerations. The Lord of the Rings characters sailed off to the Havens Grey at the end of their adventures, too. Tolkien himself did not offer better than Peterson’s description of that glory: “When you sail from Havens Grey/ caught up on the wind and blown away/ close your eyes on the shadowlands/ and bid goodbye to all your friends/ I know you will open them again in the endless day.” Peterson manages to write an album examining death absent of melancholy, indeed, focused on hope, beauty, and even longing. No small feat.
The lovely keys of “Mystery of Mercy” consider the miracle of our acceptance, while “Mountains on the Ocean Floor” looks at the same gift through the eyes of Peterson’s addicted uncle, this time through a bed of quiet percussive touches. “For the Love of God” considers another miracle, equally unsettling: the love between a man and woman. Peterson extends the album’s spirit of wonder all the way to the end, with the reflective “More.” Quietly celebratory, “More” may be the best funeral song I’ve heard, from its faith-filled lyrics to Stuart Duncan’s bright fiddle.
Aside from my sorrow at my late arrival to the Peterson party, my other regret is that I can not include “The Far Country” on Suite’s List of the Year’s Best, due to its August 2005 release date. And for this I am deeply repentant. It’s never to late to check out Andrew Peterson’s “The Far Country.” Learn from my mistake, please.
