MARCUS CHEONG listens to Deborah Robertson’s EP, ‘All Praise To You Lord’…
Deborah Robertson
All Praise To You Lord (EP)
2015
In A Word: Intimate
“[I]t is refreshing to hear such honest and raw sound.”
Australian singer/songwriter Deborah Robertson is no stranger to tragedy. But her encounter with the Gospel not only turned her life around, it also inspired a music ministry of hope and healing to others.
All Praise to You Lord consists of four blues/jazz songs. Three of the tunes are recorded live with the simple backing of just a single guitar so that Deborah’s voice and lyrics take centre-stage on these tracks. This creates an intimate atmosphere where the exposed vocals feel very present and the emotions are viscerally real.
Unlike much of modern music, where the vocals are heavily processed with digital tuning and effects, it is refreshing to hear such honest and raw sound. This, of course, requires Deborah to have the skill and ability to carry the songs which, thankfully, she does – with style and feeling. It is clear that Deborah is not just mechanically belting out a melody, but she is reliving the experiences and emotions that inspired the tunes.
The loss of a child in a miscarriage, relationship breakups, addiction and despair were the struggles that Deborah has lived through in the past and overcome together with God. She has channeled these life lessons into a sound that is heart-wrenching yet hopeful with lyrics that are infused with both wisdom and truth.
