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Every time a new band, collaboration or project arrives on the Christian music scene, I’m always excited. Especially when they are committed to bringing freshness and their unique creative sensibilities to the fore.
From their introductory post on Instagram back in December, Oaks seems to be committed to doing just that. The project was created by brothers, Dawson and Colton Shorman and they believe that Christian music should thrive on creativity and honesty even as it refreshes the soul.
Earlier in January, they released their first single, Rose, a pop tune with a wicked bass groove and ambient synths. I remember listening to it and feeling like they leaned towards a genre-fusion approach to synthpop but it’s impossible to come to any conclusions based on one single.
Every Step
is also a pop song but it comes at it from a completely different direction. There is a familiarity to its song arrangement and composition style and they don’t do anything out of the ordinary with regards to what you may expect from a pop song with congregational worship leanings.
However, I believe that these songs as a pair, showcase two important qualities of Oaks as musicians. While Rose
brings their production chops and musical prowess to the spotlight, the simplicity of Every Step
allows their lyricism to blossom. It’s a song about learning to rest and rely on God as we journey through life. I particularly love the chorus:
…You satisfy in the morning
You’re enough in the afternoon
You’re all I want in the evening
I give all my days to you…
I also have to shout out Christian Singleton, who is one of the most consistent creatives on the indie scene. I still do not know how she can collaborate with so many artists in a calendar year. Her output is one of the reasons I respect her but she also has a way of fitting into every tune she is featured in irrespective of the genre or style and I think that is a testament to her craft.
So far, I love the two singles we have heard from Oaks. We are still very much in a phase of discovery when it comes to this project, and there is nothing more exciting than that in my opinion.
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