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Saturday, March 21, 2009

Review: The Rippys - Lost And Found


The Rippys – Lost And Found
2009, Afterever


Ron and Leticia Rippy form two partnerships. The husband and wife duo are also known as The Rippys, the Los Angeles based music duo that throws out distinctions between religious and secular music and writes from a diverse well of influences. From artists such as Chicago, James Taylor, Wilson Phillips, Amy Grant and Steven Curtis Chapman, The Rippys gather influence and inspiration to write about subjects ranging from relationships to God. Their debut CD, Lost And Found, seeks what all people seek: meaning, purpose, fulfillment and love.

Lost And Found opens with You And Me, a great pop arrangement with lots of energy. Is It Me moves to a big classic rock guitar sound with soulful vocals. Is It Me is a bit lyrically awkward, but highly listenable. Can You Hear Me (L) is funky with lots of soul. Maker is musically pleasing, but lyrically simplistic and repetitive to the point of distraction. Move Me is a reggae Praise song that works more for its quirkiness than anything else. Other songs of interest are Cries Out, where the Rippys manage to sound a bit like later Yes and My Whole Heart.

The Rippys remind me a great deal of Sixpence None The Richer, a band that is primarily Christian in content but occasionally delves into secular subject matter. There’s real talent here but also a tendency perhaps to force their desired subject matter into song rather than letting the songs be what they want and then finding words to fit. The music here is quite enjoyable, but the lyrical constructs can be awkward at times. Nevertheless Lost And Found is an interesting listen.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Rippys at http://www.rippys.net/ or www.myspace.com/therippys. You can purchase a copy of Lost And Found at www.cdbaby.com/cd/rippys.

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