Kim Char Meredith - Paper Knife

As a 'mainstream' pop/rock artist, Kim-Char Meredith has enjoyed her share of success. 'Meredith's performance, when she opened for Melissa Etheridge...was perhaps the best concert pairing of the year,' wrote reviewer John Berger of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Her previous 'secular' recordings have been well-received as well: ''Give and Take' (PWRecords) is an awe-inspiring and bracing experience offering the listener an extraordinary exhibition of vocal talent.' (Southern Guitar) ; '...Make no mistake, she doesn't sound like any other singer I can think of, but she deserves to be categorized with some hard-hitting rock stars... let's all say a quick prayer of thanks for independent music' (Collected Sounds). This past September, Meredith ventured into Nashville to record at Bayou Recording, working with George Clinton (Reba McIntire, Martina McBride) to lay down the tracks of 'Paper Knife.' Mastering engineer Bob Olhsson (Stevie Wonder, Motown) was enlisted to bring his expertise and experience to the project. Review by AMG (All Music Guide): Something very exciting usually happens when a spiritual 'secular' artist applies his or her powerful trademarks to a more God-centered project. In the case of edgy and gritty, powerhouse indie singer/songwriter Kim-Char Meredith, the bracing experience of her previous album Give and Take is simply taken to a higher level... Paper Knife is a rousing celebration of faith and the healing hand of God in our lives and relationships. The key word in the rolling blues rocker title track is 'healing,' while the slightly more folksy and contemplative 'Created for Communion' is about overcoming the separation between God and herself. 'Tear Down High Places' can be appreciated just as a catchy rocker, but she's urging the listener to remove all other gods and focus on the Heart of Worship. From there, she moves between tender and heartfelt ballads (love songs to the ultimate Healer) like 'Restore the Love'... and powerful expressive rockers like the gospel flavored 'Stand,' which would make a great contemporary worship tune. Meredith achieves something truly magical in bringing such a heartfelt songwriting and production approach to simple yet emotionally compelling love songs to the Lord. Fans of secular indie rock might not be ready for the deeper meanings of the lyrics, but they would find it hard to resist Meredith's many explosive musical charms. -- Jonathan Widran, AMG (All Music Guide)

1) Paper Knife
2) Created for Communion
3) Tear Down High Places
4) Restore the Love
5) Stand
6) Giver of Life
7) Overwhelm Us
8) Spread the Wealth
9) In Glory
10) Water from the Rock (40 Years)