precious remedies

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Full disclaimer: Vito is the pastor of our dear Resurrection Presbyterian Church, where we have been members since 2009. In fact, we found out about the church when the first album, Welcome to the Welcome Wagon was released (and after our first visit to the Sunday evening service, we knew we were there to stay). So I'm definitely biased.
Nevertheless, I thought I should come out of my blog silence to say that I think this album is really something special. I've had it on almost constant repeat since the release show on June 5th. There are some songs I'm drawn to more than others, but when you listen to the album as a whole, it's pretty perfect and [I think] much more cohesive than the first album.I don't listen to "Christian" music very often. For various reasons, but most of the time I just don't think that musically it is very good, and beyond that it rarely feels genuine to me. Right or wrong, that's just how it is for me. And if I'm really being honest, music about Jesus probably hasn't truly touched my heart since my days at New Life Ranch (seven years, for those of us keeping tabs). So when I can say that songs like Remedy (amazingly, a cover?), Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending, Draw Nigh, and The Strife is O'er make me feel joyful and hopeful, that is really saying something.The music feels like such a natural out-pouring of Vito's work as a pastor. It doesn't feel like an alter ego or moonlighting as a rock star. It feels humble and earnest. Here in this Q&A, Vito talks about the difference between preaching and songwriting:

I think I’ve grown as a preacher the more I actually talk to people that I know in my congregation. The more you interact with and talk with and weep with the people in your congregation, the more you’re going to know them and what they need to hear. It takes a long time, because sometimes you know what they need to hear, but you just can’t say it. Or you’re not going to be able to articulate it in a way they can hear it. I think if you ask God, he’ll help you and the longer you’re at it, he just matures you and you can get at it a little bit better.

As a songwriter, it is a little bit different. For me, most of songs I have written have started with music. They all start with chords or a melody line, or it starts to serve something that I’ll just emote or I’ll speak words that don’t mean anything. So I’m kind of starting with more raw feeling than I am with ‘I think my congregation needs to hear this.’ I think there are a lot of parallels there, but I have an easier time talking about it when it comes to preaching because I’ve been doing it longer. Music’s just a little more mysterious. I think preaching is really mysterious too, but there’s something about music that touches people in a way that’s hard to describe. With preaching there’s a heart-to-heart kind of element where you’re just looking people in the eyes and telling them Good News. I want to do that with music, but there’s something mysterious about a pedal steel guitar or one chord sliding into another that says something that’s hard to put a finger on.

Also, I really like this album review, talking about replacing anger with joy in music.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that yes, you can listen to the album for free on Spotify, but I'd really recommend getting a copy of your own here.