A couple of oldies-but-goodies, a compilation album, and a newcomer… Check out our Best of 2005 music!

Darin Southam

If you like Josh Groban but wish you could find something just a little bit more mellow, try Darin Southam’s inagural self-titled album. A collection of nine songs, it’s a great mixture of some well-known tunes mixed with a few that Southam has written himself. Look out for the duet he sings with Holly Jo Samuelson, “Pie Jesu” – it’s absolutely beautiful.

You can find it for sale at Amazon.com or at DeseretBook.com.

The Best of Jenny Oaks Baker

If you’re like me, you might be put off by the fact that Jenny is a violin soloist. I like the sound of violins, but I tend to think that violins by themselves have a screechy quality. However, you don’t have to get much past the first song on this new album to realize that Jenny’s got a lot going for her. She plays so beautifully that you’ll be entranced by her music within seconds.

“The Best of Jenny Oaks Baker” is a compilation album from her first five recordings. It’s got everything from Primary songs to hymns to classical music. The backup tracks are outstanding and are only enhanced by the violin music.

You can find it for sale at DeseretBook.com.

Joseph: A Nashville Tribute to the Prophet by Jason Deere

“Joseph: A Nashville Tribute to the Prophet” is produced by Jason Deere (producer of SHeDAISY and Ryan Shupe & the Rubberband) and Dan Truman (of Diamond Rio) and includes the talents of David Osmond, Ryan Shupe, Mindy Gledhill on vocals and Dale Murphy on narration. It follows the life of the Joseph Smith from the Sacred Grove to Carthage Jail and include not only vocal tracks but also narrations of events that happened in Joseph’s life and with his friends.

The talent on this album is amazing – from the writers to the vocalists. I have a tendency to listen to the CD a few times through to see if I really like it, and with this one, I haven’t been able to stop playing it! It’s not so country that you feel like you should don your cowboy hat and boots, but it’s also not so spiritual that you feel like you should only listen to it on Sunday. Each song takes you through a period in Joseph’s life and you really do feel like you understand more about him after listening to the music.

You can find it for sale at DeseretBook.com.

Kenneth Cope’s “My Servant Joseph – 200th Anniversary”

Celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Smith, Jr. with the re-release of Kenneth Cope’s CD “My Servant Joseph”, originally released in 1993.

The new 200th anniversary edition of “My Servant Joseph” includes the original tracks from his previous release, but also includes some instrumental tracks in between with notes in the CD booklet on the significance of the song. For instance, track number 13, “Tears Flowing Fast” is supposed to convey the feelings of Joseph and his family at one of his last farewells. Not only are the new songs beautiful, but the also serve the purpose of breaking up the heavy feelings conveyed through the vocal tracks.

If you’re not familiar with “My Servant Joseph”, you should know that it’s basically a musical journey through Joseph Smith, Jr.’s life after he had the First Vision. There are tracks about him learning the gospel, his duty to the Church, and also songs including his wife, child, and his brother, Hyrum (which, consequently, are some of my favorite tracks).

While I love the music, I think the message behind the music is what makes it so great. Joseph Smith led a powerful life, and Kenneth Cope successfully conveys that in this album.

You can find it for sale at DeseretBook.com.