VETERAN ARTIST PROVES SHE HAS SONGS FOR A LIFETIME

After culling 33 No.1 singles from nearly two-dozen recordings, Twila Paris has become one of Christian music’s most revered songwriters, spending most of the last quarter century writing quality hymns for the church.

Though her pop sensibilities pervaded bestsellers like Beyond a Dream and Where I Stand in the ’90s, winning her significant critical and commercial acclaim and making her a household name, it is Paris’ knack for penning poignant songs of praise that has endeared her most to millions of worshippers worldwide.

And so it is only fitting that her first independently released disc focus on what she is most famous for—her songs.

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Boasting a slew of top-notch studio musicians and John Hartley’s tasteful production, Small Sacrifice is solid musically, seamlessly transitioning through 10 original songs that sound current, if not progressive.

Declaring the fundamentals, “Live to Praise” is a likely candidate for corporate worship.  “You are a Great God” also begs to be sung out loud with its upbeat disposition and straightforward lyrics, though its repetitive chorus seems a bit too basicconsidering Paris’ poetic intuitions.

Exercising her studious side, “There is a Plan” parallels Christ’s quiet birth with the underground resistance that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall, and “Alleluia” beautifully cements Paris as a master of modern hymnody.

But the real gem is buried in the collection’s second half. “Not Forgotten” intertwines phrases so simple with truths so profound, it could easily be one of the most sensitive, melodic compositions she has cataloged since “How Beautiful.”

Time and again, Paris composes in such a personal way her songs seem to be a nuance for God’s own voice.  Small Sacrifice proves that Twila Paris is not simply an enduring act, but a timeless artist. –Andrew Greer