| Length: | 55:19 |
|---|---|
| Producer: | Brown Bannister |
| Cuts: | Dive |
| Speechless | |
| The Change | |
| Great Expectations | |
| Next 5 Minutes | |
| Fingerprints Of God | |
| The Invitation | |
| Whatever | |
| I Do Believe | |
| What I Really Want To Say | |
| With Hope | |
| The Journey | |
| Be Still And Know |
Steven Curtis Chapman established himself as a capable songwriter years ago. As the most decorated solo artist from the large and diverse Nashville based Christian camp, he has honed his craft nearly to perfection. One thing is evident: he has learned to offer a balance of tunes that are similar to previous successes, while also providing a few tunes that push the envelope in a slightly different direction.
The lyrical basis of Speechless centers around hope. Chapman had the tragic events of his hometown Paducah, KY much in mind as he worked on the album. This yeilded words such as "I can see the tears filling Your eyes and I know where there coming from" (from "Fingerprints Of God") and "Be still and know that He is God. Be still. Be speechless." (from "Be Still And Know"). The tune "With Hope" states the theme most pointedly: "We can cry with hope. We can say goodbye with hope 'cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no."
You might think that a serious subject would necessarily result in slow reflective settings. Speechless does include a few ballads that would compare favorably to "More To This Life." However, many tunes such as "Dive," "Next 5 Minutes," and "Whatever" have much forward energy. There's a retro synth solo in "Whatever" that contrasts with some fancy acoustic guitar. Chapman shows he is equally adept on the electric on the anthem "I Do Believe." "The Journey" is an instrumental number performed by the London Session Orchestra, the one track where Chapman is really speechless.
Something old. Something new. A message. That's the basis of Speechless.