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We're late to discover the many charms of Candi Pearson-Shelton, but it's a definite case of better-late-than-never.
To tell you the truth, I don’t know why it took us so long to stumble upon Candi Pearson-Shelton. With her pipes, she should have been on our radar as soon as her “Haunted by Eden” hit the streets. She’s got a voice that moves easily from warm and soothing to fiercely feral in nano-seconds, and songwriting chops to match. “Haunted by Eden” wastes no time in establishing Pearson-Shelton as a fresh sound, crooning easily over the crunchy guitar riffs of opener “Callin’ It Love.” The well-written song addresses our tendency to try to force love, and the consequences. Pop-rock is her game, and she plays it well, from the sturdy approach to “I Want You,” to the breathy vocals over sparkling keyson “Just One of Those Things.” Many of Pearson-Shelton’s songs address the frailties of love, but a few delve in a more straightforward way into spiritual things. These are the ones I enjoyed most. The lovely arrangements of “Pockets Full” include quiet strings and emotive vocals, and it gets even better with the jazzy waltz track, “Ever-Changing Me.” Like so many of the twelve songs of “Haunted by Eden,” this track contains tiny sonic touches that lift it above the ordinary; in this case, it is the soulful and unexpected accordion. On fiery track “What Will Be You,” it’s the expressive sitar, and on “The Painting,” an eloquent celebration of God’s creativity, it’s whistles. Nicely done. Don’t miss the Beatlesque orchestration and chord movements of “Find Me Love,” which also showcases Pearson-Shelton’s substantial vocal prowess. And finally, shades of Joni Mitchell herself on the fresh piano-driven closer, “Fire.” Closing out with a heavy dose of fluent honesty, Candi Pearson-Shelton leaves you wanting more. Still can’t figure out how she got by us.
The copyright of the article Candi Pearson-Shelton: Review in Christian Music is owned by Kevan Breitinger. Permission to republish Candi Pearson-Shelton: Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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