A two-time IBMA Songwriter of the Year Award-winner, Ohio Country Music Hall of Fame member, and a well-respected figure in the bluegrass community overall, singer/songwriter Jerry Salley shares his love of the Lord and his faith-based philosophy with a set of songs decidedly titled The Believer. With an accomplished group of backing musicians — Cody Kilby (guitar), Jeff Partin (bass, resonator guitar), Aaron McDaris (banjo), Justin Moses (resonator guitar, mandolin), Shaun Richardson (mandolin) Jason Roller and Carson Peters (fiddles), and background singer Magnolia Williams along with Salley himself — the veteran producer and songwriter makes a solid foray into gospel realms with both credibility and conviction.
The new album is the second in a series of three projects that Salley terms “a trilogy of my personality and values that reflect who I am.” It follows his previous album, The Songwriter, a collection of solo songs that further defines his singular persona.
Comprised of all original compositions, some of the songs, by Salley’s own admission, seem, in his words, a bit of a “left-footed gospel project.” BYOB, I Need A Drink, and God And A Dog may seem surprising entries to some, at least at first encounter. But they share the same optimism and humility conveyed in the messaging overall. Notably too, several songs were hits for other artists — among them, Heaven Just Got Sweeter For You, recorded by Darin & Brooke Aldridge and The Kingdom Heirs, It’s A God Thing, covered by the Dunaways, and the 2014 Dove Award-nominated If These Old Walls Could Talk from Wilburn And Wilburn, given additional prominence via a nomination for Bluegrass Song of The Year.
The initial single from the album, If God Can Save Paul, features Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, and Bradley Walker, and more or less sets the standard for the album overall. With its fiddle-fueled revelry and rich harmonies, it conveys a sense of pure joy and optimism as it retells the story of Paul’s illuminating encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. The quiet contemplation that emanates from songs such as Love Wouldn’t Let Go, The Storm Still Knows His Voice, and What Children Believe maintain an accessibility factor suitable for believers and secular audiences alike.
Likewise, the comforting caress of It’s A God Thing, the old school sounds of Three Chords and the Lord, and If These Walls Old Walls Could Talk, and the beautiful balladry that marks A Hill To Die On, Heaven Just Got Sweeter For You, and God and A Dog possess an unassuming appeal all their own.
The lovely lilt given each of these entries effectively extends the sense of celebration overall. A single listen could, in fact, be all that’s needed to turn the most cynical skeptic into an unabashed believer.
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