Healing hearts
Few Kiwi musicians have managed to produce music that is both Christian and very popular. I can’t think of any that have done it with as much success as Dave Dobbyn.
His latest release, Available Light, is unashamedly imbued with Christian imagery and themes: light and darkness, redemption, forgiveness. Dobbyn has simply told his story. And told it straight from the heart.
Living in a world where he often hears the sound of “nothing but pain”, he provides sage advice to a generation in the throes of war, racial disharmony and the rapid rise of serious drug abuse. Dobbyn is not an artist searching for the answers. He’s found solutions, and he’s keen to share them with anyone who cares to listen: “Find forgiveness … fight for justice and for truth … and peace will be upon you” (“Free the People”).
As you would expect, the album is very Kiwi, and it doesn’t take long to find out why. David Long (award winning producer and ex-Muttonbird), Lee Prebble, Neil Finn and Bic Runga all had a part to play in the production. Not to mention musical assistance from the likes of Ross Burge (Muttonbirds), Bones Hillman (Midnight Oil and The Swingers) and Warryn Maxwell (Trinity Roots and Fat Freddy’s Drop).
The sleeve contains poignant photography by Dobbyn himself. And not the kind you see on postcards, but images from the far north that clearly hold particular significance for Dobbyn, and consequently fit the music perfectly.
This is backed up by some unmistakably Kiwi lyricism. “You know there’s always forgiveness”, sings Dobbyn, “it beats a poke in the eye.” And then there’s that unforgettable line from the chorus of “Welcome Home”: “There’s a woman with her hands trembling – haere mai?”
You get the feeling that with this album Dobbyn was just doing his own thing, and loving it. Perhaps that’s what gives this album its delightful, down-to-earth flavour. It’s not market-driven in the slightest. Rather, it has been created out of a love for Jesus, New Zealand and mankind.
Echoes of gospel, soul and Christian hymns resonate throughout many of the tracks. And if you’re a fan of his ’80s work, “Free the People” will probably float your boat as it harks back to that era. But the most moving song on the album is the romantic ballad “You Got Heart”, which I can only assume is meant for his wife, Anneliesje. He sings the song predominantly in falsetto. “It seemed to be the most vulnerable place I could sing from,” explains Dobbyn. And that’s what makes this such a special album – it comes from a man who has been well and truly humbled by the grace of God.
As a Christian, I find the album simply inspiring. Dobbyn eschews the soppiness that drips from so much Christian music these days, and has produced an album that won’t only be heard by Christians, but by anyone sitting in pubs, bars and cafés all over New Zealand for many years to come.
In very small print at the back of the sleeve for Available Light is the following from Dobbyn: “This album is dedicated to healing hearts.”
It shows, Dave.