Brave Enough by Chelley Seibert
Brave Enough is the name of Chelley Seibert’s new CD, and she explores that theme with depth and beauty in 10 songs about courage, love, and hope.
The CD opens with a beautiful “Mashup” arrangement of Jana Stanfield’s If I Were Brave with Jana’s lovely vocals blending and moving along with Chelley’s rich contralto.
The brave songs continue with tunes about finding the courage to let go (Walk Away), to step forward into a new life (Step Out of the Car), and to dare to be yourself (Transparently Real). Especially poignant is the exquisitely spare vocal anthem “Try,” about our struggle for acceptance. Chelley’s clear vocals soar, accompanied only by her luminous percussion.
Other standouts: “In My Mind,” dedicated to the memory of Chris “Outz” Brockman and all those battling ALS, it beautifully describes the tremendous love we can have and hold inside, even when our bodies cease to be able to express it, and the hauntingly and uniquely imagined Maundy Thursday song, “You Are Love.”
Most of the songs were written by Chelley or Chelley and Kim-Char Meredith, with notable additions by Jana Stanfield and Carrie Trubenbach. Accompanied by such distinctive talents as Freebo on guitar and bass, Sally Applegate on Piano, Jennifer Ferren on Piano, Mark O’Keefe on guitar, and stellar backing vocals, this album hits satisfying emotional and spiritual notes and is a winner both lyrically and musically.