Album reflects beauty of everyday life

By D.S. Martin and ChristianWeek | November 1, 2010

If you're a fan of Natalie Merchant from her days with 10,000 Maniacs, or of Leigh Nash of Sixpence None The Richer, you'll find the gentle, understated vocals of Karen Peris of The Innocence Mission a breath of fresh air.

The Innocence Mission, who call Lancaster, Pennsylvania home, consists of bassist Mike Bitts, plus the husband and wife team of Karen and Don Peris. Originally the band also had a drummer, Steve Brown, who left after their fourth CD, Birds of My Neighborhood (1999). He guests on the opening track "Rain (setting out in the leaf boat)" as does violinist Gina Di Carlo.

Their songs are of rainy neighbourhoods—where such noteworthy things happen as the fall of autumn leaves, the dance of laundry on a line and the drift of clouds overhead.

Simplicity is the principle behind the lyrics and behind the beautiful musical arrangements. Sometimes it is Don's chiming guitar, sometimes it is Karen's piano establishing the tone before she breaks into song. Her phrasing often defies the normal stresses within the words, and sometimes consonants are only half sounded, making the lyrics float past only half perceived. It's helpful that the package has all the lyrics included.

Of the 13 tracks, two—"The Melendys Go Abroad" and "Mile-Marker"—are instrumentals. Of the remaining 11, eight make lyrical references to rain, six mention trees or leaves and six mention streets, roads or alleyways. These are songs of lazy, reflective days, of strolling down treed boulevards, where there's time to consider the weather and to watch it change.

"The happy Mondays, we are blue-green/ in the air, we are yellow too./ The clouds of Pennsylvania break apart,/ they move away from me and from you."

Lyrically The Innocence Mission has found a mellow place, celebrating the experiences of the changing seasons, and the changing weather, that is not overtly spiritual, although Christian lyrics are there for those who might seek them out:

"if I'm driving there today/ and I really am this afraid,/ God is love/ and love will never fail me."

More blatant is the group's independent release Christ Is My Hope (2000) which primarily consists of their renditions of popular hymns, such as "It Is Well With My Soul" and "O Sacred Head."

Although The Innocence Mission is a band who is not reluctant to express their faith in song, they have been promoting their music within the secular industry for the past 21 years. Their recording career began in 1989 with an eponymous CD (on A&M Records). The new album, my room in the trees, is their 10th. Don has also released three solo albums.

In the three years since their last CD, We Walked In Song, they recorded a few songs that were released on the EP Street Map. They had originally intended those songs to also appear on this album, but Karen has written enough new material to let the EP stand alone.

Don plays guitars, both acoustic and electric, plus cello, drums and background vocals. Since the group became a trio, drums have been more rare on their recordings. Karen sings lead, but also plays piano, pump organ, melodica and guitar.

"No one can be so embarrassed as me,/ I say to these trees,/ where I walk with my head down./ Across the morning, the beautiful air,/ I will be aware/ my Father is there/ and stay calm."

The Innocence Mission has gotten away from touring over the past few years because Don and Karen find it to be incompatible with raising their children, and home schooling them; these songs have arisen from such domestic life.

The Innocence Mission has been following its own muse, despite whatever noisy trends have been rattling the music industry. The group's sound has grown consistent from album to album. They're not seeking to reinvent themselves, but seem quite content with what they're doing.