MARCUS CHEONG listens to Kim Gentry Meyer’s debut album, ‘Herald’…
Kim Gentry Meyer
Herald
NWN Records, US, 2023
In a Word: Gentle
After winning Mrs Massachusetts 2020 and being named the 2023 Woody Guthrie Poet, the multi-talented Kim Gentry Meyer has released her debut album, Herald.
The eight original tracks on Herald are gentle in tone, creating a peaceful atmosphere where the vocals are at the forefront of the mix. The folk-pop style keeps the experience light and breezy even when delving into deeper themes. Rooted in Biblical inspiration, the lyrics are often direct quotes from scripture combined with poetic musing on a variety of weighty topics.
Opening track This Isn’t Heaven is a cautionary warning against living by worldly standards. The following track, The Mind of Christ, addresses mental health and the battle against depression in a personal and hopeful way. The lyrics of You’ll Find Me There was originally a poem about social justice that has now been set to music. The rest of the album explores themes of relating to God and The Holy Spirit, and there are several tracks that were conceived as a way of conveying the Gospel and a call to action to this message.
The target audience is quite clearly the Christian listener or those seeking spiritual input. The title of the album is derived from Kim’s calling to be the Lord’s herald and use her gifts to share with the world. Even the album cover was painted by Kim displaying the variety of skills that were used to create this project. As a musician, writer, artist, poet and social activist, this album is another feather in her very diverse cap.
The album isn’t overly long, clocking in at around 30 minutes with some songs over all too soon. The project is an earnest statement of faith that the artist hopes will be her legacy. In her own words: “I was asked recently what I want to be remembered for…[O]verall, I want this body of work to serve as my bearing witness to the Lord’s Word, His greatness, His promises, and His return…to be His herald.”
