EVERY-PSALM Poor bishop Hooper.
The best album of 2020, goes not to album - but a mission worthy of a life. Or two.
the Every-Psalm Project on Spotify
the Every-Psalm Project on Youtube
An introduction to the Project (Youtube)
I don’t know when the husband and wife duo of Jesse and Leah Roberts, otherwise known as Poor Bishop Hooper first envisioned (or started recording) the Every-Psalm project, however, they have been releasing a recording a week, for the all of last year, and don't plan on stopping for almost two more.
Their goal. Take the canon of Hebrew Psalms, all 150, and create a distilled song from each. Then dribble out their craftsmanship over150 weeks!
Some years ago my wife and I attended a church that had as its base conviction that the people of God were to use the book of Psalms for their sole “hymnbook” in Christian worship. While I did not embrace the conviction of “Exclusive Psalmody” I noted something huge. In singing the Psalms we gave rise to places our pleading, broken, and sometimes forlorn souls, that had never received a proper airing. The Psalms allow us to express not only joy, but anger, disappointment, and crippling sorrow.
As for Poor Bishop Hooper’s renditions. These are not a verse by verse adaptations, though the couple does a fantastic job of getting to the heart of each Psalm and plumbing it for its spiritual and psychological depth. There is all the welling happiness, and bone crunching lamentation an afflicted soul could long for.
I won’t say a lot about style for the simple reason that you can listen to about three of their adaptations and get the gist. Their sensibilities are spare, airy, and haunting. Psalm one, a modern “Ode to Joy” rolls out with effervescent Leah solo. Psalm Two, introduces Jesse’s tender grit, then the twine. I read in their literature that they come to their craft with guitar and an upright bass. A video shows the couple working a large piano, together. I hear tasteful electronica, echo, and gizmo spice. (I wonder if the couple do all the music, or if they are friends with a chamber orchestra and mixing chamber guru.) Some compositions sound like they are singing in a cave with dripping springs.
In addition to all things audio-artistic, Poor Bishop Hooper represents, knows or otherwise lives on top of an art museum. I have no idea who is responsible for the attending art, but it appears that in addition to each weekly composition, PBH pushes out a new illustration (with the feel of William Blake etching on leather). The Bishop’s commitment to the visual arts permeates their entire catalogue.
Final synopsis: From top to bottom-- quality, commitment, staggering beauty and depth. The likes of which our world rarely sees.
As for Poor Bishop Hooper’s renditions. These are not a verse by verse adaptations, though the couple does a fantastic job of getting to the heart of each Psalm and plumbing it for its spiritual and psychological depth. There is all the welling happiness, and bone crunching lamentation an afflicted soul could long for.
I won’t say a lot about style for the simple reason that you can listen to about three of their adaptations and get the gist. Their sensibilities are spare, airy, and haunting. Psalm one, a modern “Ode to Joy” rolls out with effervescent Leah solo. Psalm Two, introduces Jesse’s tender grit, then the twine. I read in their literature that they come to their craft with guitar and an upright bass. A video shows the couple working a large piano, together. I hear tasteful electronica, echo, and gizmo spice. (I wonder if the couple do all the music, or if they are friends with a chamber orchestra and mixing chamber guru.) Some compositions sound like they are singing in a cave with dripping springs.
In addition to all things audio-artistic, Poor Bishop Hooper represents, knows or otherwise lives on top of an art museum. I have no idea who is responsible for the attending art, but it appears that in addition to each weekly composition, PBH pushes out a new illustration (with the feel of William Blake etching on leather). The Bishop’s commitment to the visual arts permeates their entire catalogue.
Final synopsis: From top to bottom-- quality, commitment, staggering beauty and depth. The likes of which our world rarely sees.
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