Album Face

It's Christmas day and whichever ever side of the pillow, globe or family debate you woke up on, I bid you a Merry Christmas. As I get older, the want to create new Christmas traditions feels burdensome. As new babies enter my family and the 'older babies' grow less interested in my company I recognise the importance of maximising the time. Reflecting on Jesus as a baby, I wonder when Mary recognised that His dependency on her as a mother had changed, in his teenage years, during his transition to manhood or when she chose to accept Him as Lord and Saviour?

On first look, the artwork for The Gift has all the conventions of something you typically see at Christmas. The golds, greens and reds are classic Christmas colours. The patterns resemble wrapping paper and the typography looks like a vintage Christmas card. However, on closer look the use of gradients and textures gives an antique feel partnered with the vintage typography, the cover begins to take on a different persona.

The use of symmetry takes our eyes automatically to the centre. We know by the title 'The Gift', a gift awaits us inside. The label on the top right mimics a gift tag. In this case the label is used to tell us who the additional artists are. This helps build our anticipation for 'The Gift'.

Within the pattern we have the 11 Six and Reach Records logo. A tape is also visible, again mirroring the vintage feel. Although we already know that there is music inside, the image of the tape adds another layer. When I look at the circles within circles, I think of the cogs within an antique music box. Each one turns, and in turn music plays, often out of the centre a dancer appears, or an image so captivating it cannot be ignored. In this case the image that 11 Six want to the listener to be captivated by is The Gift of Jesus.

God sent His Son, Jesus, in the flesh to die for the sins of mankind. Today we celebrate that amazing gift. I know for many years Easter felt a lot more significant to me because it marks the resurrection of Jesus. However without the birth of Jesus, there is no resurrection. Without being a mother, I can only imagine that Mary in and of herself never really stopped being Jesus' mother. The love I have for my niece, nephews and Godchildren is a very small window in to a mothers love for her child, how much more is God's love for mankind. 'The Gift' of Jesus is for each us, all those we choose to be with and have to be with this Christmas.

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Luke 2:14

The artwork for The Gift: A Christmas Compilation (Deluxe) was created by @AdamGrason and @trash.flower (on Instagram).

#MerryChristmasFace

The Donkey Spoke Episode 8 Andy Mineo - I Ain’t Done  |  Directed by Patrick Tohill

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ” Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

#TheDonkeySpoke

December saw the release of Trip Lee’s mixtape The Waiting Room. The release alerted me to the fact that my Trip Lee Series of album art analyses is very much incomplete. Technically if I was to maintain chronological order I should be writing about his 3rd album The Good Life but in order to stay up to date with current affairs I’m skipping forward. So here we have it The Waiting Room analysis. My immediate reaction to this cover was I don’t understand it’s context, that’s because I was looking for something general rather than personal. With that said the beauty of album art or art in general is how it’s interpreted by it’s audience. Each person’s unique experience will influence an interpretation. My present situation lands me helping to plan a very close friend’s baby shower. Between Pinterest and WhatsApp groups my eyes have been bombarded with pastel colours. The Waiting Room cover uses a slightly darker pastel colour palette and whilst I associate pastel colours with babies, this darker shade with brown accents almost makes the room look dirty. A waiting room can represent a plethora of things, but my observations have led me to believe this is the waiting room of life. The older gentleman is up and walking, it’s his turn to go in to the master physician. Interestingly Trip Lee’s gaze is fixed, his body language poised. He’s ready for his appointment when it comes. On both sides of him we have young people focused on their devices. Although their expressions are different they’re very much distracted by what’s in front of them.   If you are in a waiting room you sit and wait for your appointment. What is inevitable is that your appointment will come. As I observe the whole cover again, I return to the tainted shades of pastel colours and recognise the darkening of colours is produced by the mark of sin. Trip Lee sits amongst others and my thoughts turn to those around me with different values and belief systems and recognise one day they will all eventually be called in. “So teach us to number our days, that we may get us a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

Design by Arturo Torres

#WaitingFace

Beauty for Ashes is easily one of my favourite album covers of 2016. I admit that I am easily swayed by the contributions of a female rapper to the Christian Hip Hop scene but irrespective of my bias this cover easily lands in the top 5 we've seen this year. The design by Frank Cage, photography by Tony Hanson and outstanding make up by Brittany Diaz create a collaboration I hope to see more of.

“To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV)

The scripture itself tells a story of divine exchange but each exchange echoes a period of extreme difficulty before the point of victory. The album title, Beauty for Ashes is the first exchange we read within Isaiah 61:3 but it's probably the most ambiguous analogy. Joy and praise are self-explanatory so receiving them as an exchange for mourning and heaviness make sense but when you think more about beauty for ashes you have to ask; what is being burnt to create these ashes?

Holding onto pieces of our flesh is something we never desire to do in the natural but here we are looking at that picture. Heesun Lee's Face is somewhat deformed yet it's not quite ugly which is the probably what struck me the most. One could argue that her natural beauty contributes to this but before doing so I would say look into her eyes. The calm that is presented in what is distressing circumstances is very evident. 

James 1:2 tells us to "count it all joy through various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience". Isaiah 43:2 "when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned," so it's fair to say a period of testing will come about and it will include fire, hence the opener; when. So I look at this image again and return to my thoughts on the idea of holding flesh and recognise the shift in realms. We are told in Galatians 5:17 that battle between the spirit and the flesh is ongoing however I don't believe it we are looking at that battle here. I believe we are looking at a refinement. Refining is done for a purpose there is always an end goal in mind, a battle is messy and involves struggle, but we are looking at something elegant made by a monochrome colour palette. The black, white and grey are partnered with the warm tones of her face pushing our focus to the three quarters of her face that are intact and even though the lettering is stained it is still graceful in style and positioning, the position of the word "beauty" being in the ashes. 

The divine exchange is where the beauty lies. The character that is built through the trial, the lessons learned and the assurance that God is with you despite the turmoil is all part of the process to beauty. The old things are being burnt away and all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). The peace in behind her eyes is the confidence in God to complete the process; He who has begun a good work in will continue to perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

#RefinedFace

Travis Greene "Intentional" is a song I've had on repeat for a while now. No matter the situation, when I hear it, I am reminded that indeed all things are working out for my good (Romans 8:28). Whilst I usually write about album covers, this single's artwork caught my attention and as I began to unpack it I smiled. On first look one might assume this cover is predictable. The artist is pictured in an everyday environment and both the track and artist name are present, fitting the usual conventions of a cover. However beyond surface value, dare I say it, I believe each detail is intentional. Travis Greene ironically is pictured in green his jacket and jeans predominately, whilst his shirt has some green highlights. The green matches the colour used on his name and the track title, and by this we are immediatley told we are looking at something personal to him. His shoes mimick the colour of the wall, and although the wall has a slightly redder tone, the similarities tie both the wall and Travis Greene himself together. The pavement I almost overlooked as it sits discreetly beneath the wall not initially drawing my attention. I then questioned why we see the pavement. It could have easily have been a picture of Travis Greene focusing on his upper torso and the text. When thinking on this the following lyrics came to mind.

"My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly trust on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand." Edward Mote

The Passover - Eshon Burgundy  |  Artwork by ZXMBIAC