Innocence Mission - We Walked In Song (CD, Badman, Soft pop)
Despite the fact that the folks in Innocence Mission continue to record and release albums, most folks are probably only familiar with the band's output from the late 1990s when they were more of a commercially viable entity. That is a real shame, because the band's most recent albums are surely their most profound and expertly realized. Early Innocence Mission recordings featured good alternative pop, but over the years the band has softened their sound and approach...all the while becoming more focused and personal. We Walked In Song is another wonderfully fulfilling album. This time around, all of the songs were written by Karen Peris and dedicated to her mother and father. Not only is Peris one of the best female vocalists ever...but she is also a truly gifted songwriter. On this album the band consists of Karen, her husband Don Peris (engineer extraordinaire), and bassist Mike Bitts. Some folks might find Innocence Mission tunes to be a bit too subtle and sleepy...but that would be to miss the point entirely. Instead of creating drab and dreary slo-core...these folks create absolutely beautiful intricately crafted soft pop that will surely stand the test of time. Although released very early in the year, We Walked In Song will easily end up being one of the best releases of 2007.

Highly recommended! (Rating: 6 out of 6)