the 31 best of 2008 – 26: Bebo Norman – Bebo Norman

As a fan of Bebo’s for nearly a decade now, I was more than excited to discover that his new self-titled release, Bebo Norman, is as good as it is. Initially, it was his tribute to Britney Spears, in the song aptly called Britney, that made me sit up and pay attention to this album.

While Bebo’s music has always been something that I have loved, his last (non-greatest hit or non-Christmas) record was kind of a disappointment for me, and certainly the one I liked least in his catalog. When I saw that he had released a new record this year, I was apprehensive (after the last album), because I thought that perhaps he had done all that he could have done with his previous efforts (which was echoed by a greatest hits and a Christmas release). However, I happy to quickly discover how instantly, and pleasantly surprised I was by this album. Bebo is one of those singers that has a beautifully soft and smoky voice, who weaves folk-rock melodies to make beautiful music; all within the context of a positive message.

Bebo Norman is one the few Christian artists that have kept up with since my days when I was only into Christian music, but mostly because for me, he transcends just the Christian market; even though it is Bebo’s style of music really represents why I was so drawn to Christian music in the first place. His music isn’t completely overtly “LOVE JESUS!111!!!!”, but it is definitely rooted in believing in God, and living a good life by example; which I have always found comforting, in that it seems to come across as lacking judgment and being rooted solely in compassion. Mostly, while his music is purely rooted in the inspirational, and it’s something that I know I could all use every now and then, it serves as a positive reminder of when I was much more heavily religious, and all of the great experiences that were a part of that time in my life. Regardless of the “message” in his lyrics (and don’t be fooled, the message IS there), Bebo is an exceptional acoustic-rock musician, and he completely delivers on this self titled album.

It has all of his trademark beautiful arrangements, and manages to churn out an overall entertaining listening experience; many of these songs are completely commercially viable, and are ready for radio (lyrics notwithstanding). Bebo is one of those artists, that if he weren’t strictly labeled as a Christian artist (not that there’s anything wrong with that… we all need a niche!), there would be nothing stopping him from being amongst his acoustic rock peers like Joshua Radin, Edwin McCain, Matt Wertz, Damien Rice, or even Ray LaMontagne (although he is more commercial than either Rice or LaMontagne). Overall, if you are a fan of genuinely good folk rock, then you will probably enjoy Bebo Norman’s newest release, which incorporates more arrangements, and polished, multi-layered tracks that some of his previous softer work, and which adds to an already lovable catalog of acoustic, folk-rock music. I’m glad that this album ended up being better than his last release, and managed to get me re-interested in someone I would definitely consider amongst my favorite artists, and solidified his position as such at the same time.

Sparkle Factor:
Stand Outs: Britney, Pull Me Out, Can’t Live Without You, One Bright Hour.