"Echoes of Eden" by Matthew Perryman Jones, Saturday, May 22, 2021

 

Like Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, Matthew Perryman Jones was part of 2012's 25 Love Songs: A Special Gift from NoiseTrade. I had downloaded the album to hear the new Paper Route single as the band was taking an incredibly long time to release their sophomore The Peace of Wild Things. What I discovered was a bunch of indie folk artists like Kellogg, Jones, Leagues, Cary Brothers, and so many others. Matthew Perryman Jones has contributed music to television soundtracks for shows like Kyle XY and Love, Death & Robots. He gave away much of his music for free on NoiseTrade. I remember downloading the Jars of Clay Spring Tour 2012 sampler, on which featured two songs from Jones who also supported the band on tour. Jones' "Land of the Living" was covered by progressive Christian band Gungor on their album One Wild Life: Soul.

I'VE BEEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THAT LEADS TO MY HOMETOWN. In "Echoes of Eden," the singer uses religious language to convince himself that just as his past was secure and full of wonder, his future "lead . . . to that City glorified." Jones is not a mainstream CCM singer, but, like so many folk and country singers, he shows how Christian faith have shaped his life and art. Likewise, I find that there are certain comforts to take in the Christian message and my memories of a strict religious upbringing. The singer listens for "the echoes of Eden," reflecting on where he and where all of humankind has been. According to an interview with blogger Katie Gustafson, Jones revealed that he suffered from panic attacks and crippling depression in his teens, even dropping out of school by his senior year. He says that despite his Christian upbringing, he felt distant from God, except when he played music. "My song was my salvation," he stated. And music helped heal him and made him into a successful singer songwriter today.

A CHANGE IS CALLING OUT. Matthew Perryman Jones is kind of a perfect example of a somewhat secular folk-rock singer-songwriter who writes on Christian themes. Unlike U2, he doesn't seem to say anything too controversial that makes the Christian market question cancel him. His story about how music and faith help to treat his depression resonates well with the readers of Christianity Today and Relevant Magazine. But these publications under represent artists who have been hurt by the church structure. So many people who grew up Christian have been hurt by the church, so when they hear "the echoes of Eden," they don't feel the "old timey religion" hometown feel that others feel. Instead they feel judgement and point out the hypocrisy of the state-sanctioned religion that has done damage in their past. These two drastically different reactions make sense based on how prominent Christianity is in Western culture. For me, I'm kind of somewhere between the two. I find that Christianity and the message of Jesus is comforting, but I also feel like I gave it too much power over me. Maybe most of us are just trying to separate the good from the bad.

https://genius.com/Matthew-perryman-jones-echoes-of-eden-lyrics