| The On-Line Music Review & Information Ministry |
| Phillip Larue |
|
1. Chasing The Daylight
2. Home
3. Don't Be Deceived
4. Why
5. All I Want
6. Sleeping Beauty
7. Running So Long
8. Erase and Rewind
2. Home
3. Don't Be Deceived
4. Why
5. All I Want
6. Sleeping Beauty
7. Running So Long
8. Erase and Rewind
Let The Road Pave Itself
[Release Date: April 7, 2009] (BEC Recordings)
Track Listing:
Track Listing:
9. Before The Sun Goes Down
10. Deeper Side Of You
11. Black and Blue
12. Mountains High, Valleys Low
10. Deeper Side Of You
11. Black and Blue
12. Mountains High, Valleys Low
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
3.8 out of 4
2.8 out of 3
1.8 out of 2
0.8 out of 1
9.2 out of 10
Message
Music
Production
Creativity
Overall Score
| 92% A- |
Young but uniquely experienced, Phillip LaRue has an admirable grip on how to live, and
the proof is written all over his debut solo album, “Let the Road Pave Itself”. The album
is catchy without trying to sound commercial, Phillip writes stay-in-your-head songs
from the heart; real life musical stories about open-book faith, his closest loved ones, and
struggling friends who don’t always believe as he does. Phillip and his sister Natalie
released 3 albums as LaRue, and charted several pop hits including “Reason”, “Waiting
Room” and “OK To Cry” and called it a day after Natalie wed. Phillip moved to Florida
and produced notable indie acts like Over the Rhine and Dave Barnes for a worship
project based on the Psalms. Now back in Nashville, he has recently written hit songs
“Love Is Here” and “By Your Side” and produced rising band Tenth Avenue North.
“Let the Road Pave Itself” starts off with the first single “Chasing The Daylight”, a great
song which includes the lyric “I want to chase the daylight like it’s the last day of my
life”. “It’s in the unraveling of life that we find God even more”, Phillip says of the
song. The next song “Home” is one of my favorite songs on the album and has a catchy
chorus and his emotional vocal style reminded me of Shaun Groves and the entire album
resembled the introspective style of Shaun’s debut Dove Award nominated album
“Invitation To Eavesdrop”. Vocally, Phillip sings with raw vulnerability and is
comparable to Adam Duritz of Counting Crows and Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol,
both in vocal tone and style of songs. The song “Erase And Rewind” is for a friend
with suicidal thoughts and encourages him to know he’s loved by God. The other love
songs on the album, “Don’t Be Deceived”, “All I Want” and “Sleeping Beauty” are love
songs to Phillip’s wife. There are great parallels of God’s love for us with the love of a
husband and wife. “All I Want” vocally reminded me of “Crack The Shutters” by Snow
Patrol.
The last 2 songs, “Black and Blue” and “Mountains High Valleys Low” are stripped down
and personal songs. In “Black and Blue”, Phillip’s sister Natalie wrote a poem about their
younger sister Brianna who has cerebral palsy and an inoperable brain tumor. The song
includes the lyrics “you deserve to walk to run to fly – all the things I wanted for you in
this life”.
Closing Thoughts:
Phillip’s personal and relevant lyrics and vulnerable singing style made this a memorable
and enjoyable album for me.
the proof is written all over his debut solo album, “Let the Road Pave Itself”. The album
is catchy without trying to sound commercial, Phillip writes stay-in-your-head songs
from the heart; real life musical stories about open-book faith, his closest loved ones, and
struggling friends who don’t always believe as he does. Phillip and his sister Natalie
released 3 albums as LaRue, and charted several pop hits including “Reason”, “Waiting
Room” and “OK To Cry” and called it a day after Natalie wed. Phillip moved to Florida
and produced notable indie acts like Over the Rhine and Dave Barnes for a worship
project based on the Psalms. Now back in Nashville, he has recently written hit songs
“Love Is Here” and “By Your Side” and produced rising band Tenth Avenue North.
“Let the Road Pave Itself” starts off with the first single “Chasing The Daylight”, a great
song which includes the lyric “I want to chase the daylight like it’s the last day of my
life”. “It’s in the unraveling of life that we find God even more”, Phillip says of the
song. The next song “Home” is one of my favorite songs on the album and has a catchy
chorus and his emotional vocal style reminded me of Shaun Groves and the entire album
resembled the introspective style of Shaun’s debut Dove Award nominated album
“Invitation To Eavesdrop”. Vocally, Phillip sings with raw vulnerability and is
comparable to Adam Duritz of Counting Crows and Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol,
both in vocal tone and style of songs. The song “Erase And Rewind” is for a friend
with suicidal thoughts and encourages him to know he’s loved by God. The other love
songs on the album, “Don’t Be Deceived”, “All I Want” and “Sleeping Beauty” are love
songs to Phillip’s wife. There are great parallels of God’s love for us with the love of a
husband and wife. “All I Want” vocally reminded me of “Crack The Shutters” by Snow
Patrol.
The last 2 songs, “Black and Blue” and “Mountains High Valleys Low” are stripped down
and personal songs. In “Black and Blue”, Phillip’s sister Natalie wrote a poem about their
younger sister Brianna who has cerebral palsy and an inoperable brain tumor. The song
includes the lyrics “you deserve to walk to run to fly – all the things I wanted for you in
this life”.
Closing Thoughts:
Phillip’s personal and relevant lyrics and vulnerable singing style made this a memorable
and enjoyable album for me.
Review Written By: Kevin Davis [kevin.davis@christianmusicreview.org] Date Written: March 11, 2009
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