Words Remain

Josh Garrels remains one of my favorite musicians of all time. An unlikely and unassuming man with the most beautiful wife, he professes the name of our Savior with bold subtleties that will blow your mind. Starting as a grassroots Portland, Oregon local back in 2002, he was just "my art teacher's friend." Fulfilling my visual arts requirement in high school meant taking art class. So I first heard his music played from the chalk-dust-clogged speakers of a boom box in room 208 nearly every day for a year. I was hooked. My brain categorized his music with my own dabbling in the arts via sketchbook assignments and art fair entries. My love affair with the richness of his layered verses and nuanced choruses has yet to wane, just as my love for art has blossomed into a small business of what I like to call "ruining canvases." To this day I go on month-long Josh Garrels stints, occupying his playlist on my iTunes for hours at a time. That same art teacher of mine, who updates his own piece of the blogosphere, did the cover art for his third studio album, Over Oceans. Until my frugality was broken, I would stream his music online here. Articulating a relationship I had with the same Man in a profound way, sparing no superfluity, Jacaranda, his next album, was full of sweet sounds. It was a couple years before Lost Animals was produced and soon thereafter worn out, just in time for my current obsession, his sixth album in 2011, Love & War & The Sea in Between. If I haven't convinced you into fan-dom, check him out for yourself.

Love & War & The Sea in Between, his most recent album, is available on Noisetrade. Decide for yourself, but flying airplanes for a hobby and soon-to-be career, I happen to love Pilot Me.

While I'm sure he would hate the title "vocational ministry" -- it's not a job description he would ever claim -- the story of the life he has with his wife and two precious kids is all on their blog. You can also find all the lyrics to his music there if you go to Archives on the right-hand side and drop down to 2008.

Now, for the reason I even embarked on this little post: Mason Jar Music. "Josh's belief in his own voice," a gift given and empowered by the Spirit, has overflowed into a musician/fan-based project to produce and inspire others. Simply put, vague in nature, but specific in goal: may the Lord be lifted Higher. Quite frankly, it makes me look forward to heaven.

And for Pete's sake, please click on all the hyperlinks. I put them there for a reason! Garrel's is a cool chum and is worthy of your attention, I promise!

Here's just a flavor of the content they're producing: