Dave's Review

After a couple of "concept" releases (1995's Christmas album and 1996's My Utmost For His Highest: Quiet Prayers) Bryan Duncan has returned to the pop stylings of Mercy and Slow Revival. The first four cuts are medium tempo tunes that set the tone for the rest of the album. The remaining seven songs are slower with the exception of "A Whisper Heard Around The World" and "Joy Is A Singable Thing." These two numbers include funk guitar and organ stylings with the addition of spicy horn stabs and swells on "Joy . . . ." "Joy . . ." is easily the most energetic song on the album and it's spot at the ninth position was a wise decision on someone's part. In the middle of four slow songs, it jolts the listener from certain oncoming monotony. The more notable ballads include "Take Heart," a song about companionship on the journey to Heaven; and "Tell Me Where You Are," asking a lost child to come home. 

Although the musical flavors of Blue Skies are much like Mercy and Slow Revival, the lyrical content is decidedly more lighthearted. Rather than going "a little step closer to the man I long to be" (from 1992's "Step by Step" on Mercy), Bryan's lyrics are bit more reckless now. He exudes happiness singing, "Nothin' but blue skies and long awaited days" (from the title cut) and "Joy is a singable thing sho' worth singing about" (from "Joy Is A Singable Thing"). He even sports a big smile on the back of the CD that's certainly more appealing than those depressing poses on the last few. (We get a nice clear photo of the back of Bryan's head on the front cover; he's gazing out at those blue skies.)

This is not an album for deep moments of retrospection. Buy Quiet Prayers for those times. Rather, Blue Skies is happy music; it's music to enjoy; it encourages; it lifts.