About.com Rating
Sara Groves imparts pearls of wisdom throughout her tenth album, Invisible Empires, that share her soul, her passion and her walk. There is transparent and then there is TRANSPARENT. Groves goes all in with the latter and unlike many other really good songwriters, she exposes big chunks of herself in her music, letting us see her whole heart, rather than just a few pieces here and there.
The beauty of it is that she does it in a such a delicate manner that it takes more than one listen to really understand the true depth of the mine she just dug in your heart.
The Songs on 'Invisible Empires' are Easy to Relate to
- Style: acoustic
- 11 Songs
- Release Date: October 18, 2011
- Label: Fair Trade Services
Whether she is sharing the enigma of God's love for us on "Mystery," the fear and dread that people will see the real us (flaws and all) rather than the picture perfect mask we put on on "Obsolete" or the powerlessness we face when we don't wait on God's hand on "I'll Wait For You," Sara Groves strikes a chord. We've all faced those issues once or twice and probably felt totally alone when we did - because we tend to see our own brokenness as worse than the brokenness of others. She becomes our spokesperson of sorts, reminding us that our flaws and failures are why Jesus gave His life for us. He didn't love a bunch of perfect people to the cross and beyond; He loved us!
All of the serious topics aside, this is not to say that those offbeat Sara Groves moments we've come to love aren't in there... "Scientists in Japan," while talking about the dangers we face when we play God (bioethics) has a fun, pop feel to it.
"Eyes on the Prize" kicks off with a traditional urban gospel sound that makes you wonder if somehow, some other group's music didn't get included in her album.
Bottom line - What at first glance seems like tasteful and light music has a hidden depth with a plushness that envelopes you. Lyrically, Groves is (as usual) spot on. delving deeply into life and the business of living in faith. This is a lady that entertains while making you think beyond your own boundaries and she does it so quietly that you don't walk away feeling lectured at or chagrined.
Invisible Empires Track Listing:
- Miracle
- Obsolete
- I'll Wait
- Scientists In Japan
- Open My Hands
- Precious Again
- Eyes On The Prize
- Without Love
- Right Now
- Mystery
- Finite
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.