This surprised me somewhat (in a very pleasant way)! Steven Curtis Chapman is set to release a new 12-song project called Deep Roots to various outlets a week from now, including everyone’s favorite country store, Cracker Barrel. Just over half of it will contain fresh recordings of old hymns and gospel songs (including “He Touched Me”), and the other section will contain new versions of some of his own classics. Many songs are collaborations with family members, and one of them features country star Ricky Skaggs.
Although Chapman has made his living perfecting the art of smooth Christian pop, his heart has always been down in Kentucky, “where the grass is blue.” He showed more of this rootsy, earthy side to his craft on 1996’s Signs of Life, as well as The Abbey Road Sessions. I look forward to more of the same on this new release and can’t wait to hear him put his signature spin on some hymns. I’m especially looking forward to hearing him work with his father and brother on the two gospel tracks. Moreover, all of the songs chosen from his own catalog are among his best and should fare very well with this acoustic treatment. It’s interesting to note that of the five, three of them are from either his debut or sophomore releases (“Be Still and Know” and “Cinderella” excepted). This is a thrill for die-hard fans who love the really old songs and a testament to how well they still hold up all these years later.
Here’s a full song list:
Deep Roots Track Listing:
- “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”
- “How Great Thou Art” (featuring Jillian Edwards Chapman)
- “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” (featuring Ricky Skaggs)
- “Blessed Assurance”
- “Life is Like a Mountain Railroad (Life’s Railway to Heaven)” (featuring Herb Chapman Sr. and Herb Chapman Jr.)
- “He Touched Me” (featuring Herb Chapman Sr. and Herb Chapman Jr.)
- “Hiding Place”
- “Rock of Ages”
- “Be Still and Know” (featuring Caleb Chapman)
- “His Eyes”
- “My Redeemer is Faithful and True”
- “Cinderella”
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