Each listen of Arthur Alligood's "Under the Gray" will draw you in deeper. There is a lot more there than you'll hear at first listen.
"Under the Gray” is ten tracks of introspective folk-rock, its beauty lying in its compelling vision and lyrical punch. Most of these songs deal with elements of our journey, the opener beginning, appropriately enough, with his own moment of discovery. “Letter to Grace” contains the monumental lines “I thought I had you down and there was nothing more to say/ I thought I was smart and could move on to other things/ But then you came like Jesus to his boys in the upper room/ and said “If you ever get over me it’ll be way too soon.” Therein lies the power of Alligood.
Over his very-less-is-more instrumentation (Alligood: acoustic guitar, vox; Andrew Osenga: bass, electric guitar; Ben Nolen: drums; and Greg Adkins: keys), Alligood’s mournful tones lay down wry commentary on our human condition, always with penetrating clarity and truthfulness. Case in point, the spellbinding “Not Like Us,” where Alligood enumerates the ways our insolence reveals itself in regular acts of hubris. If I were queen of all, this song would play in every church this Sunday morning, its boot-shaking powers loosed on the nation’s congregations. I loved the intimacy of “Far From Today,” detailing the day’s defeats but at the same time uplifting the soul with its recognition of the goodness of the here and now.
The nuanced guitars of “All the While” beautifully support Alligood’s doleful vocals as he recognizes grace’s power to cover our failures. The images of this song are startling in their potency: “Of course you’ll see your blunders, your screw-ups and the like/ But like frost in the morning, grace will have covered over those times.” Alligood’s somber vocals contrast nicely with the stealth of his message; again, it’s only in the closer listening that you feel the full effect of his lyrical punch. The joy contained within his truths sneaks up on you, and is intensified for its unexpectedness. Which is not to say that his flaccid tempos don’t at times wear thin; I had a hard time staying engaged with “I Don’t Believe” and “Degrees.” But when he did cut loose, on the honest up-tempo “Broken,” he had me in the palm of his hand.
Arthur Alligood has a great deal to offer, especially to the Body of Christ, with his rich insights and brave willingness. For those snowy winter evenings made for contemplative quiet, consider having “Under the Gray” on hand. It’ll do the body good.
If you enjoy Arthur Alligood, you may like these projects as well: Andrew Osenga's "The Morning" and from Chris Mason "Songs One Through Six."
