The Gospel Project - The Idea of North

Roger Fitzhardinge | 31 January 2007

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If you’re a muso or if you’ve heard of The Idea of North, skip the next paragraph.

A capella is Italian for ‘in the chapel’ and is musical slang for ‘sung with no instruments.’ The Idea of North (TIN) are four Australians (two guys, two girls) famous for their a capella work, especially for their jazz interpretations of (musical slang for ‘fiddling around with’) popular songs. And these guys are so good that while they’re singing, the sound is full enough that it’s easy to forget there are no instruments but their voices.

This album is something different for TIN and this is why: they sing with a band on some of the tracks. And it works. The project was to capture the spirit of what the word gospel means for them – good news – and they capture this spirit from an astonishing variety of sources.

From the Psalms to prayers by the cartoonist Leunig, from Van Morrison to old-school gospel tunes, The Gospel Project takes the originals and injects their particular brand of subtle yet enthusiastic energy. The vocals are, as ever, crisp and carefully crafted to draw attention to the lyrics.

Some of the songs are well known (like Down to the River to Pray – as used in the movie O Brother Where Art Thou) and others are new works for this project. Some will have you clicking and singing along while the sombre tones of others allow you to reflect on what the song is saying (or praying).

There’s enough of the original tune and rhythm to recognise and sing along with the favourites and enough jazzy tweaks and surprises to remind you that it’s TIN that you’re singing along with. Whether fast or slow, each track resonated with TIN’s heartfelt experience of a facet of the gospel.

My favourite track is Andrew’s allegorical track 13 – The Unfortunate Tale of a Country Chicken. It was hilarious and catchy to boot.

This CD is best listened to either loudly in the bath, medium on the train, softly on the sound system in the background after church or in the kitchen as you cook.

My personal album highlight: You have to love anyone who can make their voice sound like a bass guitar. Stunning.