Bebo Norman (album)
| Bebo Norman | ||||
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| Studio album by Bebo Norman | ||||
| Released | September 16, 2008 | |||
| Genre | Acoustic, contemporary Christian music | |||
| Label | BEC | |||
| Producer | Bebo Norman, Jason Ingram, Rusty Varenkamp | |||
| Bebo Norman chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Bebo Norman | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Source | Rating |
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About.com (Kim Jones) |
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AllMusic (Andree Farias) |
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Christianity Today (Russ Breimeier) |
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Cross Rhythms (Jacob Wain) |
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| Jesus Freak Hideout (Josh Taylor) |
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Melodic.net (Cor Jan Kat) |
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| New Release Tuesday (Kevin Davis) (Kevin McNeese) (Nathan) (Andrew Greer) |
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Bebo Norman is the eponymously named sixth studio album by Christian Contemporary Christian musician Bebo Norman. The album is the second with BEC Recordings, which was his first studio album with the label, and his ninth album overall including his first independent release. This album was released on September 16, 2008, and the producers are Jason Ingram, Bebo Norman and Rusty Varenkamp.
Kim Jones of About.com said, "most albums have some good music and a few great highlights. Bebo Norman's self-titled release offers up a lot of great music and more highlights than should be legal. Like all of Bebo's music so far, Bebo Norman tells a story and this chapter is by far the most telling so far. Open, honest and sincere, the lyrics show us a man who is walking out his faith one step at a time, not claiming to have all of the answers, but knowing the one who does. The music is purely acoustic excellence with a hint of rock." In addition, Jones added that "the only problem that I had at all with Bebo Norman is that at only 37 minutes long, I was left longing for more. Bebo is one of the few artists out there that can make simple honesty sound wonderful without adding a bunch of bells and whistles to jazz it up. The messages that he shares on this album are timely and like any good story, I didn't want it to be over."
Andree Farias of AllMusic said, "self-titled releases tend to make a statement of some sort, whether you're a newcomer, a veteran, or just a has-been gunning for a second chance. In the case of Christian pop troubadour Bebo Norman, his self-titled debut for BEC Recordings is none of the above. Instead, Bebo Norman is a collection of anthems, introspection, and commentary that bridge the singer/songwriter's collegiate folk past with his latter-day adult contemporary glories. While pop choruses slowly became a requirement during his previous major-label tenure, here the huge refrains appear effortless, almost as if Norman has learned to internalize and make his own the fact that his thoughtful take on the Christian experience merits exposure beyond the coffeehouse. Songs like "Pull Me Out," "Never Saw You Coming," and "The Only Hope" are as grand and populist as Norman has ever gotten, but they're written from a place of brokenness and inadequacy, looking to God not as a means to an end but as the end itself. In a nod to his humble beginnings, Norman goes the folk-pop route in almost equal measure ("A Million Raindrops," "Not Living in the In-Between"), and the style comes to him with great ease. Of these, the left-field stunner is "Britney," a poignant, heartfelt ode to the teen pop superstar that also serves as a sharp analysis of culture's make-or-break treatment of celebrities. Bebo Norman is indeed the portrait of an older, wiser, and more self-assured Norman—someone who is blessed to make faith-based music out of the abundance of his heart rather than out of the stringent demands of the CCM machine."
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