Threads of Mercy - Ivan Parker - CD Review

Ivan Parker is definitely known as one of the greats in the industry. He's been consistently a fan favorite for decades. His latest solo project Threads of Mercy was released in January.

I think Ivan does a great job of finding songs and arrangements that fit his voice. He knows what works for him and knows what his fans enjoy.

"This Is How We Know" is probably the highlight of the project for me. It is an incredible ballad. It's written by Kenna West, Lee Black and Cliff Duren. Kenna and Lee both have three cuts each on this project. It has a bit of a praise and worship feel toward the end, but lyrically this song is a standout!

There are several uptempo numbers including "On the Solid Rock I Stand" and "Til the Shackles Fall Off." Both songs I found myself tapping my foot along and humming the choruses later on. They are great, catchy and high energy. I can see both of these being great in a live setting.

"Silent Prayer" is a beautiful story song. Ivan delivers the lyrics tenderly and simply so that the message of the song becomes front and center. It's a perfect arrangement of the song.

"Don't Hang Your Head and Cry" is stylistically very different from anything else on the project with a bit of "soft-shoe" feel. The song was penned by Jim Brady and was actually previously recorded a Jubilee album.

I thought the inclusion of "He Touched Me" was an interesting choice. I enjoyed Ivan's rendition of the song, but would have rather heard a new song than including the classic hymn.

For fans of Ivan Parker, this is definitely a project you'll want to add to your collection!

Song List -
1. "Til the Shackles Fall Off"
2. "God's in the Middle of It"
3. "Don't Hang Your Head and Cry"
4. "Silent Prayer"
5. "When Heaven Shakes the House"
6. "This Is How We Know"
7. "On the Solid Rock I Stand"
8. "He Touched Me"
9. "Wings"
10. "How Much Longer"