Holt Vaughn’s second volume in his These Songs series opens in scintillating fashion. “Got to Pray (Satan He Don’t Rest)” blasts from your speakers with unmistakable blues rock authority. One of the defining elements in Vaughn’s songwriting separating him from many other artists with ties to the Christian contemporary scene is balance. His songs never rely on niche appeal alone but, instead, brings together a message faithful to his intentions without ever evangelizing listeners or failing to entertain them. It’s a rare feat.
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The lead guitar adds flair to the opener but takes off for extended self-indulgent passages. Vaughn’s experience shines through during this track. “Forewarned” demonstrates his experience as well with its intelligent juggling of blues and rock influences. The acoustic-based tune sparkles brighter thanks to the arrangement’s well-timed flourishes and the lyrical content is specific enough to have deeper impact, yet general enough it encourages open-ended interpretation. Vicki Hampton’s backing vocals are an important part of each song, but Vaughn’s voice is more than satisfying.
“Muddlety” revisits one of the finest pairings heard on These Songs, Vol. 1. Phil Keaggy, onetime guitarist for groundbreaking Christian Contemporary band Glass Harp, provides a fluid and eloquent duet partner. The interplay between their acoustic guitars during this instrumental makes it one of the album’s standout moments. “I Don’t Know Why (You Treat Me Like You Do)” has immediate appeal thanks to the confluence of musical elements driving it. Jason Webb’s organ fills punctuates the song’s effortless bounce and seems to give an extra jolt to Vaughn’s inspired guitar playing.
“Creed Not Chaos” turns the album in an unexpected direction. The fun retro vibe of the preceding track transforms into dark-humored social satire with Vaughn ruminating over the world’s calamities. The song’s style lands in an odd sort of stylistic nether region, not quite rock, not quite pop, but straddling the line between genres. It’s an interesting listening experience for multiple reasons. “Dandelion” is a solo performance, in essence, excepting the backing vocals from Ralph and Tamala Fonda of Porcelain Train. Vaughn’s lyrical and guitar playing chops are, once again, in perfect accord and listeners can’t help but be impressed how Vaughn consistently gives voice to his deepest beliefs in a way all but the most contentious will find agreeable.
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His biggest admirers, of course, will be sympathetic to his point of view. The gospel-fueled blues and lyrical perspective of “Life’s River” will likely find broad acceptance, however. Vaughn’s blues voice is in especially fine form for this track with an added layer of breathiness giving it gravitas. The finale ‘(A Not So) Silent Night” invokes a bit of the Yuletide with jingling bells at the song’s outset, but it’s soon apparent a holiday tune isn’t Vaughn’s intent. Concluding the album with a lyrical instrumental is a somewhat audacious move, but the playing is absolutely superb. Vaughn, naturally, stands out but Tony Morra’s drumming deserves mention as well. He plays with such sensitivity to both the arrangement and Vaughn’s playing that you’ll listen to the song again just to revel in his performance. This powerful instrumental puts a memorable exclamation point on Holy Vaughn’s These Songs, Vol. 2.
Claire Uebelacker