Sebastian Demrey is starting to make waves up north, showcasing at October’s Christian Music Week and serving as a presenter at the recent Covenant Awards. “Searching” is his first English language record, but he’s been immersed in the world of music since age 5, from singing on 23 studio projects and on 14 international tours to serving as Music Director at his church for several years. Now with a young family of his own, Demrey moves into his solo career with a mission in mind, according to his promo material.
That material helped me to understand the lyrical progression of “Searching” a bit more. His oh-so-soft music moves through stages of open expression, the album’s earliest songs only hinting at a heavenly aim. To the believer, the opening title track’s pleas for presence come through the gentle pop rock quite clearly as a cry for God. The lyrics honestly express the desperation of a searching soul, and leave the conclusions open. The next track, the drifty, dreamy “Hold On To Me,” could be sung to God or Girl, while “Close to You,” with its rich electric noodling, is a straight-up boy-girl love song, and a good one at that.
By the time you get to the dramatic standout track “Again,” the hints are increasingly overt: “Whisper to my heart/My child, be still/And fear no more/For I am here, so near.” This track amps up the energy level too, with edgier vocals and more instrumentation, even moving into a slight jam as the track winds down. Demrey’s vocals are some of the softest I’ve heard, at times veering dangerously close to Bee Gee territory (the up-tempo “Living Without Your Love”), but he brings you back with the occasional Beatlesque moment (the elegant break-up song “Thousand Miles Apart”). This gentle approach works beautifully on the expressive piano ballad “Spring Rain,” unfortunately the album’s shortest track.
It is on the 8th track, pop-rocker “He Put a Song in My Heart,” when Demrey finally mentions the name of Jesus, and then it’s flat-out worship, baby, adding an organic feel to the album’s progression. When another break-up song, “Bring the Light,” follows, it’s the slightest bit jarring; I would have chosen to include this track earlier. But “Great is Your Name” wins you back over, beginning gently and building slowly to a strong crescendo of electric adoration. The lovely closer “Fly Sister” flows straight from Demrey’s heart, sharing a bit of his family history, as well as exposing his own surrender in a very generous way. Visit Sebastian Demrey’s website for more information on this gentle pop singer and his tale of “Searching.”
