Sandi Patty faces the restoration process head-on following her well-publicized '90s marital failings, and on new CD "Falling Forward" celebrates the mercy she found.
“Falling Forward” opens tellingly, with the airy praise track “Make Me Glad.” I like its gentle opening, not Sandi Patty’s usual approach. She shows sensitive restraint on this emotive song, before moving into the more exuberant “Sing to the King,” splashy with sound, its bells, rhythm guitars and solid drums working hard. The standout title track will grab you by the throat with its deep meaning. Quiet strings underscore Patty’s dramatic gratitude for God’s mercy when she’s “frozen in my failure.” Producer David Hamilton sets this track like the pearl of great worth in the song list, and the song serves as the key to the aptly-titled “Falling Forward.” Very nicely done.
Patty stretches out vocally on the album’s second half, borne on a bed of warm horns and her signature lush orchestration. An air of joy propels these tracks, from the happy happy joy feel of the up-tempo “Step Into the Joy,” to the string-rich dramatic ballad “Found,” which Sandi Patty fans will find to be spine-tingling. Things kick up even higher as the album closes out, with the heart-tugging violins of “You Call Me Yours,” a powerful testimony to the rich mercies Patty has found so healing, and the nuanced, quiet closer, “Grace Flows Down.” I enjoyed her gentle, deeply expressive vocals on this worshipful track, and the free-flowing adoration as the song draws to peaceful close. I believe that “Falling Forward” will serve many as a powerful encourager both for its healing message and its musical vitality.
