Critically acclaimed. Artistically compelling. Spiritually poignant. All three have been used to describe Sara Groves in the past, yet they never have rung as true as today.
Sara Groves delivers yet another emotionally charged and insightful view into the Christian experience. Always reminding us that the Kingdom of Heaven is present among us. Sara's gentle challenges allow us to savor the experience of being God's hands and feet.
Delivered in an artistically compelling manner that invites us into her journey, Sara, along with producer Brown Bannister, weaves an intoxicating musical soundscape that is at once captivating.
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Landmark Sara Groves, top 10 of 2007!| Posted December 10, 2007
I love Sara Groves and how refreshing her music, lyrics, overall songwriting and singing voice actually all seem to get better with each release. "Conversations", "All Right Here" and "Add To The Beauty" were all top 10 albums the year they came out (including CCM's album of the year for 2005). As great as her previous albums are, "Tell Me What You Know" is my favorite Sara Groves release and top 10 of 2007 for me. I can't get enough of "When The Saints", "Song for my Sons", and "I Saw What I Saw".
Sara does a poor job of Telling| Posted January 02, 2008
Sara Groves has been said to be Christian music's best lyricist. her is her latest project Tell Me what you Know really that level of quality, has simple music but the "strength" of the album, and all Sara Groves albums, is the lyrics.
"Song for my sons" has a light pop sound but, "In the Girl there's a room" Has a bizarre pop sound which is a very unsettling and ends badly. "Love is still a worthy cause" has a good start but is not carried by the chorus, The single "when the saints" is long and really doesn't challenge any fan with the music. "Honesty" and "I saw what I saw" are both light songs. Abstraction is more upbeat, but "the long defeat" and "you are wonderful" weak sounding songs. "Say a prayer" is really simple, and not impressive.
As for the lyrics of Tell Me what You Know A bunch of her songs are particular to Sara Groves, and not to the rest of the listening audience, such as "I saw what I saw" and "say a prayer". The whole point of the album is understand God in a way that other people can tell her but she probably won't ever experience, Groves tries relay that but who knew from "I saw what I saw" that it was about a experience that she had in a foreign country or that "say a prayer" was about a girl in slavery? In that case the songs are unclear. As it stands those two songs are weak by themselves.
"when the saints" is a good anthem for any Christian while "a song for my sons" is for the parents, which really does not relate what Groves is trying to tell them, other than she's trying to tell them something. The song "Abstraction" is fine but it really does not have much to do with anything. "Love Is Still A Worthy Cause" and "You Are Wonderful" are both shallow songs, as is the entire album. "In The Girl There's a Room" is unclear lyrically as well.
Anyone doing some research will defiantly get more out of Tell Me what you know, but Sara Grove's songs should stand out individually, without explanation. Sara Groves music starts out like light pop but ends into very soft music which is disappointing, but to being the best lyricist is all of Christian music, well, Tell Me what you know is not exhibit A.
Tell Me What You Know| Posted October 26, 2011
A great collection of songs that focus on hope in the midst of suffering and the effects of a fallen world. Sara's music is thought-provoking, moving and this release offers a bit more variety in musical tempo then many of her later releases.
SHE DESERVES A GRAMMY| Posted August 07, 2009
she seriously is one of the most underrated artists in CCM- she produces some of the most relevant songs out there that are beautiful and stunning- her voice is stellar = Song for my sons- is a pretty fun song (musically)
What You Know| Posted May 28, 2008
I just resently purchased this album from Sara Groves because i read many reviews from it and they gave it good reviews and good ratings so i wanted to see why for myself. I have to say that i would also give this album high ratings after listening to it. What i love about this album is that Sara through most of these songs wrote about experiences that shes gone through especially through her trip in Africa. Her lyrics are all inspirational and motivating and her voice just adds more to her music. I love this album from start to end. My favorite songs would have to be "When the Saints" (which would be my #1 favorite on this album), "I Saw What I Saw" and "Honesty" but i do like all the rest. This album gets highest rating from me although all of her music doesnt really fit my type but her lyrics just capture me. I definitely recommend this for anyone!!
This a great album by Sara Groves| Posted March 09, 2008
I like this album by Sara Groves. I'm not a big fan of Sara because my dad doesn't have a good song that she's done or written but her voice is really beautiful.
Tell Me What You Know About Sara Groves...| Posted January 08, 2008
I have personally never really got into Sara Groves. I am 15 years old, and her style of music just has never been my type. She leans toward more of an adult contemporary, more acoustic music. I normally like music you can dance to or rocks hard or has amazing lyrics. I've heard her radio singles but never really went any further until this album.
I bought this CD as a Family Christian exclusive the week or the week after it came out. It comes with 2 bonus tracks and a DVD.
So I listened the day I bought it, and even though I was really hoping I would love it, I was quite disappointed. The only songs that really stood out were the light pop "Song For My Sons," the interesting, yet kinda bizarre, "In The Girl There's A Room," and the powerful "When The Saints." As disappointed as I was, I put it back on my shelf. But then I started reading online reviews of it and most of them were giving it 5/5 or 10/10 ratings. I was shocked at this, since I didn't at all care for it. After I kept reading these continually positive reviews, I gave the album a second chance. After a few listens, I can definitely appreciate this album.
My personal favorites are: the 3 listed above, the catchy, lite-pop "Love Is Still A Worthy Cause" and "Abstraction", the compelling "I Saw What I Saw," and the catchy, yet deep lyrically "It Might Be Hope."
"Honesty," "Long Defeat," and "Say A Prayer" are probably the album's weakest points. While they all have wonderful lyrics, their melodies are bland, they lack a good hook, and they get boring after a few listens. "You Are Wonderful," while not a highlight, is still a fun, catchy, little ditty. "In The Girl There's A Room" is a little odd lyrically and is a new musical direction for Sara. It reminds me a lot of her song "Jeremiah" from "The Other Side Of Something." Although "Abstraction" is a personal favorite musically, lyrically it is kinda confusing. Can someone please leave a comment or message explaining what the chorus means? "Who can know the pain, the joy, the regret, the satisfaction/Who can know the love of one life, one heart, one soul/At two you're at abstraction." I have no clue what that's supposed to mean!
As I mentioned earlier, I got the FCS "James Fund Edition" of this CD. Its bonus tracks, "Did You Ever Need A Song" and "Freedom" are bland and boring. I can definitely see why they were omitted from the album. Although, "Freedom" does have some really nice vocals from Sara. The DVD is a real highlight. It includes over an hour of extras. My favorite part of it are the "Just Showed Up For My Own Life" vignettes. These serve as little "video journals" from Sara as she went to help with Hurricane Katrina relief, and also her trip to Africa. I cried about 3 different times watching this! There is also Sara's set from a 2006 concert, where she sings about 7 or 8 songs, most of them being from "Add To the Beauty." The music video for "I Saw What I Saw" is also included. It is very emotional, but doesn't really act as a music video, more as a video montage of her trip to Africa. It never shows Sara actually singing the song.
Wow! I just realized how long my review was. In a nutshell, about half of the album is fun and catchy, while the remainder is more serious (and sometimes even boring). Sara's songwriting is the true highlight of the album, because she is so poignant and deep. Her songs sound like she took a poem and added instruments and a melody. If you plan on getting the album, I would suggest the James Fund edition, because of its amazing DVD. Despite having 2 extra tracks and an hour-long DVD, I got the CD for only $13.99 at Family Christian, which is about what you would pay for a regular version.
Great!!| Posted November 03, 2007
Well I heard that this CD was one for MOMS(MOPS) and yes it is. I just love it. I have been looking for something like this for a long time.
She Does It Again| Posted November 01, 2007
I can't even remember how I came across Sara Groves for the first time. It's been awhile and I have four kids so my brain is a little fried.
What I do know is that several albums later (I have almost all of them), I am still enraptured by this singer/songwriter. I don't listen to a lot of Christian music anymore, but I always am amazed at the thoughtfulness and the non-formulaic approach she has toward music.
These days, with CD's costing so much, many people are leery to spend the $12-18 on a CD that they might end up liking one or two tracks. I have never been disappointed after buying a Sara Groves album. In fact, the more I listen to it, the more I think about the message throughout my day.
She has a way of communicating the spiritual truths that you can't quite put into words and often brings tears to my eyes as I experience a rare moment of pause in my crazy life to reflect on those simple parts of our relationship with God that would otherwise go unnoticed.
As a fellow songwriter, she inspires me to keep my own eyes open for those little things that make a great song. A great song being one that makes people think in different ways and opens their hearts to the Creator's heart.
Thank you, Sara Groves for sharing your music and thoughts with the world. I, for one, am extremely grateful.
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