Vocally Powerful
by
ecparker
Mike Milton’s new album Follow Your Call is in many ways an extension of his first release He Shall Restore. Having been one of Milton’s parishioners for six years, I was blessed to hear many of the sermons that birthed the songs found on both albums. Since many of Milton’s songs are a direct result of sermon preparation, it would be difficult to separate Milton’s preaching from his art. One is an extension of the other, and both flow directly from the word of God. Still, nearly every song has a deeply personal aspect. The album opens with Carolina Free, a song about his recent move from Tennessee to North Carolina. Milton left his post as Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church Chattanooga to become President of the Charlotte campus of Reformed Theological Seminary. Carolina Free is a majestic song that takes the listener through the range of emotions that Milton and his family felt during and after the move. It is also one of the high points of the album from a production standpoint as the instrumentation chosen by co-producer Fred Schendel matches the lyrical content perfectly. This song contains perhaps the most poignant verse on the album. Milton has finally begun to feel the peace of God with his decision when he sings:
When I took my walk I saw geese flying over
Just like pilgrims going home
As they sailed o’er the trees in the morning sky
I knew God was on his throne
It was time for me to move on…
The next standout track on the album is What God Starts. This song is based on Philippians 1:6 where the apostle Paul tells the Philippian church “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” When Mike tells his testimony, this is the verse with which he begins. Milton was reared in the church, but wandered far from the fold. Years later, God would complete what he started all those years ago. What God Starts is not only a firm statement about the Gospel of Grace, but it is also deeply personal and is a glimpse of Milton’s book What God Starts, God Completes.
The first real break from the Fogelberg-esque folk arrangements comes with the track Cattle on a Thousand Hills. This original bluegrass tune about the blessing of God gives the listener an idea of just how versatile Milton is as a writer and vocalist. Coupled with the harmonies of Cynthia Gibb and Fred Schendel and the outstanding playing of Bobby Burns and Matt Thornton, Cattle on a Thousand Hills will have you tapping your feet, buying a “Forever Bluegrass” sticker, and looking for a funnel cake.
The next track that demands mention in this review is the song Christ is Risen. This song serves as another break from Milton’s usual Americana melodies. The song tells of the unquenchable flame of the gospel which is covering the globe. Milton uses the common Christian creed “Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again” as the basis for this evangelistic song. The music feels like a deep cut from the Moody Blues, but at times reminds me of a very polished Neal Young with a hint of World Music. You’ll just have to hear it.
The final track on the album is Chapel on the Prairie. The song features the Adonia String Trio, a group that also appeared on Milton’s first album. The song is the beautiful story of a man who encounters the God of grace and brings others to the place where he first heard the truth. As the man prays in his chapel, God calls him to build another chapel for those in another place who have never heard the gospel. Chapel on the Prairie, more than any other song on Follow Your Call, showcases the range, texture, and emotive force of Milton’s voice. One cannot help but be transported to a small makeshift chapel on the Kansas prairieland. And as the song ends, the echoing horns call us to a type of manifest destiny, to take the gospel of Jesus Christ across our nation once again.
