Bodies of Water

I remember in a sunday school class many years ago, my teacher (who eventually became my mother-in-law, for the record) was trying to teach her recalcitrant students that music could reach your soul and create a feeling of awe, even if it wasn’t “church sanctioned” music, i.e. hymns. I can’t remember what all she played, except I think there was a Led Zeppelin tune in there. It was a radical idea to all of us hymn-singers when put so baldly, but as a devoted listener I knew it already somehow, because like most teenagers, I got a feeling-fix out of music.

If you don’t believe that you have a soul, then pick another more physical organ. Heart? Brain? I believe in a soul, and part of the reason I believe is how I respond to music. Not just church music — you listeners know what I’m talking about. I felt almost spiritual one time in a Tori Amos concert when she was singing “iieee.” Don’t tell anyone at church — except my mother-in-law. She understands.

So in that spirit (pun!) I present Bodies of Water. A combination of enthusiastic, “Hair”-style singing (i.e., “This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius”), gospel, and indie rock, it’s enough to delight anyone looking for an uplift. Of course I don’t mean that Bodies of Water is just touchy-feely, love-you-love-me music. The music’s purpose, such as it is, can be summed up by a quote on their myspace:

Bodies of Water aren’t providing a soundtrack for catharsis, surrounding the listener with “good feelings” or “bad feelings.” They only hope to give encouragement in the lone struggle against adversity, to proffer up a thing to be internalized (and evolve therein) or die.

Perhaps then, Bodies of Water does not provide outward spirituality, but a conduit to your inner thoughts so you can find your own; and no more joyful noise than this could accompany that journey. July 24th sees the debut of their new album, “Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink” (and then we’ll all presumably confess that Bodies of Water rocks).

Bodies of Water – Site | Myspace |

[Note: tracks have been removed. Please contact me for a copy.]

Bodies of Water — These Are the Eyes
Bodies of Water — I Guess I’ll Forget the Sound, I Guess, I Guess