Toni Childs’ “Keep the Faith”
I first discovered Toni Childs when she released “Union” way back in 1993, all full of wonderful African beats and harmonies and great songs, and of course– That Voice.
Like a lot of fussy old coots I dismiss a lot of popular music as manufactured product with interchangeable generic performers. Not so with Toni Childs. She is the real deal; there is no mistaking her voice for anyone else’s. It is a splendid expressive instrument full of emotion and power. She is a talented songwriter who addresses difficult, dark subjects, and who also expresses joy and hope. Anyone can do despair, but joy and hope are very hard to do well, and Ms. Childs is the best.
Every song on “Keep the Faith” is a keeper. “I Saw God In The Supermarket” expresses the concept that God is within everyone with an uptempo foot-tapping beat and wonderful lines like
I saw God on television
He had a ring in his nose
Wearing Nike tennis shoes
Wow that boy could sing the blues
“Dream That We Dream Of” is my favorite on a disc full of favorites:
It’s the dream that we dream of in everything we do
It’s the hope that we hope for, and God I hope it’s true
“You’re Beautiful” is an awesome anthem with a great story behind it, which you can read on Ms. Child’s Web site. This story answers why she stopped performing for so many years, and why she returned.
Now I can see you
Holding out your hand
Hoping that someone will finally understand
That you’re beautiful
Yes you’re beautiful
This album is full of compassion, artistry, wisdom, emotion and wonderful words and music. Like all of her albums this is a first-class production with excellent instrumentation that rewards repeated listening.
I heard “Union” when it first came out in 1988. I lived in South Florida at the time and the song “Walk and Talk Like Angels” was played on everything from the local rock radio stations to the local new age station when new age was the hot thing. Her voice is unique. Toni Childs and Tracy Chapman were the voices that were catching attention at the time.
“House of Hope” was musically brilliant but the subject matter made it a difficult listen. It seems like ages since I’ve heard of anything from Toni Childs. Glad to read your review and know there is something new that I really should check out
Hi Caitlyn, yay another Toni Childs fan! She’s an amazing artist. I haven’t heard a stinker from her yet.