GRIMES

Gospel

从12年的《Heart》开始喜欢上Audrey Assad。《Heart》应该是我目前听过将福音和流行结合得最为适宜的专辑，AA的唱功也在第一张录音室专辑的基础上有了很大的成熟，成功升级我最喜欢的福音女歌手之一。

大约是因为年龄的增长和阅历的丰富，AA的每一张专辑相比前一张都愈发沉稳和成熟，唱功也更加游刃有余，虽然中间13年和14年的两张感觉似乎进入了一个略微瓶颈的平台期，但到了最新的这张《Inheritance》，能够明显地感觉到AA对福音音乐和自身信仰的理解又上升了一个层次。（真的非常喜欢在各式艺术家的作品中看到其中折射出来的艺术家思想变化和成熟的轨迹。Evolution gives me a sort of satisfaction and hope.）

虽然这张基本是Cover赞美诗和经典的福音歌曲，但是整体的音乐结构和力度都很不错，既将福音音乐特有的空灵感控制得较适宜（前一张在这方面就处理得有些尴尬，并不太适合AA明媚的音色），又不失personal的情感张力，编曲和演唱感觉都已经抛开了前两张的那种隐隐的犹豫，听来感觉豁然开朗，意境辽远温暖。

新专辑的美学也非常加分。封面和封底相连是一条在澄澈天空完整飘扬的红色绸带，画面效果的直观感受很像是色彩明亮版的卡拉瓦乔，和整张专辑的感觉相得益彰。

开玩笑地说，听福音音乐很容易让人想跑到天空下喊praise the lord（到底歌这么好听的上帝应该不会是坏人）。虽然信仰的纯净总是非常触动我，但那种触动带来的总是泪水居多；现世的混乱带来的却才是微笑。关于这种奇妙的paradox，低俗怪谈里最苏的女神和RK聚聚有一段精彩的对话大概可以解释（先膜拜一下两位苏神，每一场对戏都超级经典）

V: They make me nervous.

J: Who?

V: The nuns.

J: Why?

V: I was raised in the faith. It was arduous for me. Have you religion?

J: Are you offering it?

V: Do you require it?

J: I never have.

V: Then I shan't offer. And I would be a poor advocate. The Almighty and I have a challenging past. Not sure we're speaking these days.

J: I read the Bible when I was younger. But... Then I discovered Wordsworth, and the old platitudes and parables seemed anemic. Even unecessary.

V: Mr. Wordsworth has a lot to answer for, then.

(承包此处RK聚聚萌萌的笑）

J: Is it not this, Miss Ives, the glory of life surmounts the fear of death. Good Christians fear hellfire, so to avoid it, they are kind to their fellow man. Good pagans do not have this fear, so they can be who they are, good or ill, as their nature dictates. We have no fear of God, so we are accountable to no one but each other.

V: That's a profound responsibility.

J: And why you do this, no doubt. Helping those in need.

V: I came here for selfish reasons. Do you truly not believe in heaven?

J: I believe in this world, and those creatures that fill it. That's always been enough for me. Look around you. Sacred mysteries at every turn.

V: But no exaltation in life beyond this?

J: "To see a world in a grain of sand

    And heaven in a wild flower.

    Hold infinity in the palm of your hand

    And eternity in an hour."

V: With respect to Blake, I see no wild flowers here, only pain and suffering.

J: Then you need to look closer.

不管是否有宗教信仰，人总归是得相信点什么，而相信现世，大概就是施沛特所谓的真正的乐观吧。

诚然真正的乐观总是很悲伤。