Today, Strahan Coleman — popularly known as Strahan — is one of the most relevant voices in the Christian folk. The New Zealand singer-songwriter has released three amazing albums, with recent singles seeing him branch out sonically into fuller and more vibrant instrumental choices.
On a personal level, he is an artist who has earned my respect and admiration, leaving me in a state of quiet anticipation every time he announces a new project.
Yet, when I think about it, I am certain that I will not feel this way about him and his work if Posters did not exist. Arguably one of the best Christian albums of the 2010s and definitely one of the best of Christian folk albums of that era; let’s take a trip down memory lane to examine the brilliance of Posters.
The album begins with ‘You’re the Dawn’ which sets the stage for the rest of this journey. With simple guitar strums and delightful harmonies, this song resonates a soothing ambience that captures the feeling of newness and hope.
‘Deliverance’ is probably the most popular song on this album and that is for good reason. Its call-and-response verses along with its upbeat foot-tapping rhythm make it an instant favourite around any campfire.
“…there is a forest built without the thorns, there is a vineyard of the Lord, we are all pillars in the storerooms of His love and His mercy…” These are just some of the lyrics that make ‘Vineyard’ a standout track. Over the years, Strahan would come to establish himself as a poet, creating Commoners Communion as an avenue to express this side of his craft. This is one of the songs that showed early signs of this gift.
From an instrumental perspective, ‘Hey New Wine!’ is my favourite track on this album. Everything about it is methodically crafted, from the harmonica and claps to the acoustic guitar and drums. It also has an infectious anthemic chorus as an added bonus.
With an acoustic guitar and a Wurlitzer electronic piano, Strahan creates one of the most emotionally vulnerable moments on the album on the track ‘Home’, where he speaks about love, pain and growth.
The title track uses symbolism to remind us of the temporary nature of life here on earth. It stands to remind the Christian of the purpose of life here and our eventual reuniting with the Father and the Son. It’s quite rare for me to have title tracks as my favourite on an album but ‘Posters’ is a near-perfect song that has a special place in my heart.
‘Wells’ is a short story about the need for the love and grace of God in our daily lives. It has prominent kick drums, bright strums and a harmonica outro that wraps it up nicely.
On ‘Not Alone’, Strahan brings a moment of personal reflection. With minimal external influences, this song is mostly a man, his guitar and pockets of heartfelt harmonies. It’s a song of encouragement that speaks on loneliness and reminds the listener that God is always present.
‘Daily Bread’ draws references from the story of the feeding of the 5000 in scripture, reminding us just like Christ mentioned in John 6 that He is the bread from which we get our nourishment.
‘Time For A Change’ is a poem of three verses and it’s the quietest moment on the album. With the acoustic guitar and the harmonica, Strahan paints a vivid picture that shows the beauty of vulnerability.
With the words “…your kingdom come, your will be done…”, this album closer is a beautiful blend of warm pianos, guitars and tambourines. It has a southern tinge and is a song of expectation, faith and hope.
Posters is not without its problems. Musical tastes differ from person to person and some may say this album is too monotonous in sound or carefree in its production choices. In later albums, Strahan develops his craft significantly and makes these comments mostly irrelevant.
However, even with these issues, there is an innocence and purity that this album exudes that will be impossible to replicate, even for Strahan himself.
Posters is a once in a lifetime experience that I will always cherish.
Tags: Folk, Singer-Songwriter
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That’s it for today.
Until next time.
Keep listening!