Main Review
With a tagline like "hope is contagious", it's probably no surprise that the music team responsible for
choosing/composing the songs on the Letters To God soundtrack caught the bug. The songs express a mixture of pain,
love, hope, and joy that make this soundtrack a treat even if you haven't seen the movie (can you tell I haven't yet??) I think
I'll break it down in this review the way I listened to it.
The Score:
Colin O' Malley does a wonderful job with these tracks. While I can't necessarily picture every moment (again, I'm working
blind), I totally get the feelings he's trying to evoke. Whether it's lonely, sorrowful, tender, or joyous, this music is just right
for the genre. The usage of "oooh"ing choirs helps set the heavenly-minded tone, but it's the flute and woodwinds that are
the star of the show, expressing everything from light-hearted curiosity to despair. I think my favorite is a toss-up between
"Letters on the Altar" and "Hold Out Your Hands"
The Movie Songs:
The songs that actually made it into the film gave me a few clues to how the plot goes. A couple of songs, (Addison
Road's "Hope Now" and Between The Trees' "We Can Try") were familiar to me (and liked already). I also enjoyed the
simple honesty of the Warren Brothers' song "Dear Mr. God", which expresses a prayer in letter form, and was surprised
by the upbeat tone of J.R. Richards' "A Beautiful End", a song about....death. That, and leaving behind a meaningful
legacy. "Throw Me A Line" and "The Water's Edge" deal with the themes of second chances, hope, absolution and love. A
disappointment was the limited length of Wintley Phipps' "Amazing Grace". The track had a lot of vocalizing, and only a
couple of lines from the hymn. Maybe that's all the played in the movie, but all the other songs are full length.
The Bonus Songs:
Along with the film tracks, the album also includes some bonus songs. There's the stellar song that will be forever tied to
his "Nothing To Say" documentary in my mind; Matthew West's "You Are Everything". God is truly all that matters, and it's
amazing how He still loves us even though we're mess-ups. There's also the (apparently) original artist versions of "You
Give Me Hope" (hurting person inspires the singer because of their perseverance) and "Everything Is Beautiful"
(remembering the good times before life got turned upside down - hold onto that). I like Due West's version of the latter
song because of its country flair - it's just right. Sanctus Real's "We Need Each Other" is a great come-together-as-one
song.
Closing Thoughts
The Verdict:
Letters To God's soundtrack is a clever mix of sweet tunes, an inspiring score, and an all-around message that there is
beauty in every ash-pit, a rose for every thorn, and an ever-present God who will carry us through every season of our lives.
Review Written By: Laura Chambers [laura.chambers@christianmusicreview.org] on 8/10/2010
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