- Sweet and Lovely
- God Will Take Care of You
- In My Arms
- Always
- Children of the Heavenly Father
- Blink
- My Child
- Me
- Sleep
- Solomon's Song
Blink is an album that reflects a season of change, and one that makes you consider how artists can meet fan expectations while maturing gracefully. Plumb (aka Tiffany Lee) developed a following over the past ten years among teens and young adults through candid, relatable lyrics and an edgy modern rock sound that recalls Evanescence and Garbage, along with the alt-pop of Sixpence None the Richer. Now a mother of two young boys, she's recorded a collection of lullabies and songs about newfound parenthood. Will the same core fan base relate as easily to these songs?
Depends on where the fans are at in their own lives, and whether they follow Plumb more for her sound or the heart expressed through her songwriting. Blink is definitely softer than the modern rock of her previous efforts, but it is exactly the sort of lullaby album you could imagine her making, relying more on gentle programmed pop ambience than harps and strings. The gorgeous opener "Sweet and Lovely" is cut from the same cloth as an ethereal Sarah McLachlan ballad like "I Love You," while the straightforward hymn covers ("Children of the Heavenly Father," "God Will Take Care of You") resemble material from Christmas and worship albums by Rebecca St. James and Natalie Grant.
Yes, the album can help lull little ones to sleep, particularly "Solomon's Song," based on the very tune Plumb hummed to her own firstborn. But she takes many of these lullabies further than sweet dream sentiments through songs reminding us how parental love for children mirrors God's love for us, with subjects ranging from self-sacrifice ("Me") and enjoying moments while they last ("Blink") to love's endurance of all things ("In My Arms") and its perseverance beyond time ("Always"). Particularly interesting is the remake of "Sleep" from 2006's Chaotic Resolve, which takes on new meaning when you've heard the original, transformed from a song about a troubled soul looking for peace to a sweet lullaby offering peace.
Blink puts an appealingly modern spin on lullabies for today's generation of moms, but it's going to seem too motherly for the teens and young adults expecting guitars and angst. This is not the Plumb most people are familiar with, but it does accurately represent the place from which Plumb is writing music today, and that should still count for something even if the album won't appeal to everyone in the same way.