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Charlie Dodrill's is one of those success stories that make you cock your head in wonder. He wrote these unique songs alone on a mountain for his own pleasure?
Yup, The seeds of “Prologue to This Drama” were sown in the four months Charlie Dodrill spent in a Utah cabin seeking God. And oh yeah, he knew five chords at the time. But God had more than a few guitar chords in mind for this crafty folk-rocker. The first jangly guitar riffs of opening pop-rocker “Deeper In You” are hopeful, but it’s not until you pick up on the powerful lyrics that you realize how special “Prologue to This Drama” is going to be. On this song of deep desire, Dodrill writes: “Well, they say my life is hid with Christ in God/ If You say so, I believe/ Well then, tie a ball and chain on me and throw me in the deepest sea/ So I’ll sink so much further than my mind conceives, deeper in You.” This is a man who wants more, more, more of his God. Jimmy Needham comes to mind at the sound of Dodrill’s spectacular second track, “Even Close,” an attempt to fit the gospel message into Nashville’s “three minute song” rule. Like Needham, Dodrill’s evangelistic passion spills richly over these crafty tongue-twisting lyrics, and he even manages to make it pretty. Lisa Cochran’s cool background vocals go a long way in enhancing these songs of passion; there’s a strong ice/fire vibe going on that makes them a perfect vocal match. It’s hard to say in what area Dodrill is strongest: in his pretty pickin’ (check out the nimble grace notes sprinkled throughout the percolating “Worth Living For”) or his soul-baring lyrics. “Under the Impression” unpacks our tendencies for self-absorption with enormous self-awareness. I loved the richly textured “Why Not Now?” for both strengths, with its note-bending electric guitar and Steve Rosen’s atmospheric “everything else.” “Prologue to This Drama” closes with the sparkling love song, “All I Have to Send,” Dodrill’s soft vocals pouring out his devotion over gentle acoustic guitar. The song climaxes with a dramatic and beautiful flourish, leaving you wanting just one more. Maybe I ought to spend a few months in a Utah cabin.
The copyright of the article Charlie Dodrill: Review in Christian Music is owned by Kevan Breitinger. Permission to republish Charlie Dodrill: Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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