Plumb
Posted November 10, 2009
By piano89,
Tiffany Arbuckle Lee has come a long way in her career as a Christian recording artist.
Starting out in the industry as a back-singer, Lee eventually went on to front her own
band, Plumb. After five highly successful albums spanning over a twelve-year period,
Plumb has compiled its most noteworthy songs into arguably one of the finest greatest
hits collections in Christian music.
Beautiful History is comprised of two discs. The first disc contains re-recordings of past
songs, hits from previous albums, and two new tracks. The re-recordings are selected
songs from Plumb’s first two albums that are in need of updating to mesh with the other
tracks. “Stranded” is refreshed with new guitar parts and a punchier rhythm section,
giving it more of a rock flavor. Lee showcases her impeccable vocal skill and range in
the bridge, soaring to a high note that was not in the previous recording. “Here With Me”
is revamped with new synth layers and a different rhythm. The updated version would fit
in perfectly with today’s pop radio. The extended version of “Damaged” was pulled off
of Plumb’s 2006 release, Chaotic Resolve. “God-Shaped Hole” starts out noticeably
different with a new guitar motif and a backing piano, rather than an acoustic guitar. Just
like “Stranded,” the song packs more punch than the original. The two new tracks,
“Hang On” and “Beautiful History,” fit in perfectly with the other tracks. The dark piano
vibe of “Hang On” resembles “Cut” as do the hopeful lyrics. “Beautiful History” is serene
pop/rock and continues the message of hope, “I feel so far from home/Completely all
alone/And then I hear You say… I am here, I am here.”
The second disc consists of remixes, some of which had been previously released to
iTunes. Two of the remixes are by Bimbo Jones; the group has remixed songs for
countless artists, mostly secular. Bimbo Jones’ remix of “In My Arms” topped Billboard’
s Hot Dance Airplay Chart back in 2007. There are several remixes by Plumb’s producer
Matt Bronleewe, Dave Aude, among others. All of the remixes are fast-paced with great
pulsating beats, perfect for working out at the gym or for parties.
With greatest hits collections, there almost always seems to be an issue as to whether the
included tracks were in fact the artist’s best songs. Nothing on either disc seems out of
place on this collection. Beautiful History is a fantastic representation of Plumb’s work
thus far.
Closing Thoughts:
Beautiful History has become one of my favorite greatest hits collections, along with
Nicole Nordeman’s and Ginny Owens’ greatest hits albums. The only aspect of Beautiful
History that I dislike is the remixes. I’m not really a fan of the dance/techno type stuff.
However, Plumb has experienced great response to its remixes through radio and such,
so this is probably not an issue for most fans. View All Music And Book Reviews By piano89 | View piano89's Profile
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