Promise

When asked to name her biggest influences, DC area singer/songwriter LEA smiles and describes the creaky, 4 story house in Baltimore where she was raised. This was a home that was always filled with the sound of her father's trumpet (he had toured the world with the 70's soul band, Black Heat) and her mother's rich contralto voice (as a girl, LEA's mother dreamed of being the next Marion Anderson). It is easy to hear this musically eclectic upbringing in the way the artist “seamlessly blends folk, jazz and other styles into her own honeyed sound.” With her new CD, Promise, LEA pays homage not only to the music she learned from them, but also to her parents’ divergent world views. Her mother is fervently Baptist while her father is an ardent atheist. The poet Kahlil Gibran wrote, “Your daily life is your temple and your religion. When you enter into it take with you your all.” That message is echoed throughout Promise. In most cases, one would not immediately recognize that each song is an earthly variation on a biblical theme. However, there are a few exceptions. In the smooth ballad “10,” we hear a positive rewording of the Ten Commandments. With just a classical guitar, (reminiscent of the psalmist’s lyre) LEA revisits the abundant love and peace expressed in the 23rd psalm. The bluegrass tune “Bread Alone” is a direct quote attributed to Christ. The playful designation of Side A and B refer to the Old and New Testaments while the cover hearkens to the “bow” placed in the sky at the end of the story of Noah and the Ark. LEA says the goal of this concept album is to create a bridge between loved ones “who believe that truth can only be found in the bible and those who believe there is nothing true to be found there.” Apart from the artist’s inspiration and musings, “Promise” is simply a good listen. Here, you’ll find uplifting songs in an array of styles with an inclusive message and universal appeal. “They who have ears to hear, let them hear.”