Wayne Watson
(self titled)
Word Records
2000

Listening to Wayne Watson is very similar to listening to Elton John by yourself in the car, belting out, "Hold me closer, Tony Danza," because you don't know the words. That doesn't matter though, because there's something special about the melody and the chord progression--something that just draws you into the song. Welcome to the world of Adult Contemporary music.

Wayne Watson is one of the most popular Christian Adult Contemporary musicians. Much like Michael W. Smith, Watson's Christian Pop equivalent, he is not a pioneer in his genre, but rather a wise follower. Each track off this album could be part of some church's homemade musical or special music in a worship service. This is the stuff that Trax Tapes are made of.

While some of his melodies and chord progressions are too much alike, he makes good music. The final track, 'Turning Into Dad,' is a touching tribute to his father, who died during the making of the album. Even with his father's death and his own injuries from a skiing accident, he was still able to turn out this, his sixteenth album. 'Trust in You' is a great modern paraphrasing of Descartes' Meditations about trusting God over your own two eyes. 'Finest Hour' is an uplifting, upbeat jingle with simple lyrics and the potential to be the theme song of a tent revival. In contrast, 'Everything Can Change So Fast' is a bluesy piece about your world collapsing around you. By far the best track on this album, and my personal favorite, is 'Pray.' As of yet, this song has not been overplayed on Christian radio.

As long as there are middle-aged women working in church offices and record companies making WOW albums, there will be new Wayne Watson songs. (Tom Y.)