i know that i've written about brooke fraser before, but i've really been obsessed with her music lately and have had it on repeat, so you've got to bear with me.
the first time i listened to brooke fraser, i'm pretty sure i was actually in new zealand (she's a kiwi). we were living in the international house at the university of auckland, and i remember walking into the lounge and hearing this really nice song playing. i walked over to the tv where some friends were watching music videos, and i see this great video. there's candle-light and this woman playing the piano, and it's all just very romantic, you know? well, at that point N. and i had just started dating so everything sort of seemed romantic to me at the time, but still.
anyway, this song ended up being "arithmetic" by brooke fraser, and i ended up buying the entire album and really loving her music. she's since come out with a newer album called "albertine," and it's absolutely amazing. from a christian standpoint, you really couldn't ask for more since it's really inspirational but not overly preachy, and from a singer/songwriter fan's standpoint, the music (from piano to guitar to lyrics) is wonderful as well -- calming and thoughtful without being depressing.
i also know that, with this album, there's a particular humanitarian aspect that you hear come through in the song for which the album is named. as a supporter of world vision child sponsorship, "albertine" is named for the orphan brooke met in rwanda, who lost both her parents in the rwandan genocide. you can read a little bit more about it on her website.
i guess this music just inspires me to 1) be a better person, 2) be a better christian, and 3) be better at these things by...being more present in the world, more helpful, more understanding. more of the things we say we all want to be, but usually don't see through.
brooke's currently in studio working on another album, and i can't wait until she goes back on tour. until then, here are some songs to keep you (and me) looking forward:
