Travelers is the fifth CD from Carolyn Arends and her first on the Canadian Signpost Music label, founded by Christian folk singer Steve Bell. Signpost recently announced its new Livingroom Series, all-acoustic songs featuring some of Christian music's best singer/songwriters. Bell did the first album in the series,
Carolyn got her start in Christian music strictly as a writer, primarily because of her brilliant way with words — just what you might expect from a voracious reader of Lewis, MacDonald, Muggeridge, Buechner, and even Dr. Seuss. (Carolyn is quite an author herself; her book,
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The title cut, "Travelers (The Airport Song)," features Carolyn's witty and poignant storytelling at its best, written from the perspective of a people-watcher who's waiting for her next flight: "Eating raisins in the corner is a girl of five or six / She is sporting a new shiner shaped just like her brother's fist / But I'm sure he didn't mean it, 'cause they get along just fine / Accidents will happen when you're killing this much time." And the chorus: "We are prodigals and pilgrims, we are sinners, we are saints / It gets hard to tell the difference the more you make us wait / There is variance in circumstance, direction and occasion / But the truth is we're all travelers who have not reached our final destination." There's lots more great writing where that came from, exploring themes of longing for God ("Eternity in Our Hearts"), celebrating faith ("Dance Like No One's Watching"), and trusting God in the midst of doubt ("I Believe"). And there's a fun track about wanting to get away with someone special, "(I Wanna) Go Somewhere with You," featuring these opening lines: "It shouldn't be half this hard to get you, me and a Texaco card / On the open road with the windows down, and the radio up and the wheels going 'round … / All I wanna do is go somewhere with you." There's even a nod to the Beatles near the end with the line, "Baby you can drive my car."
(Note: Although Travelers is currently unavailable in U.S. bookstores, you can purchase a copy from the official Signpost Music Web site, www.signpostmusic.com, or visit Carolyn Arends's official Web site at www.carolynarends.com for more details.)