How Great Is Your Love

Author

By Andrew Hamlin

Publish Date

Dec. 14, 2009

Sean Ardoin, heir to the Zydeco throne of Bois Sec Ardoin, calls this the first Christian Zydeco album, and indeed (at least) I can't think of any others. As one of the several rappers dropping knowledge throughout remarks, a Christian Zydeco album isn't what everyone's expecting. In fact, it may have given pause to Sean Ardoin's older crew when he decided to serve the Lord. But he felt commanded to do so, and he invited everyone he knew to stay with him if s/he could, and you know the rest.

With the obligatory disclaimer that I am no Christian, I submit that Ardoin manifests a reasonable approach to living right, long, and healthy in today's blip-and-miss-it gestalt. The rappers lend help and humor, but I'm glad Ardoin only over-AutoTunes once ("How Great Is Your Love"), and I'm hoping for more accordion in future. Maybe the master's son Sean II can handle that; he certainly sounds mature for his mid-teens on "Father To Son."

At the close, Ardoin-the-elder invites us to pray with him. "Then you're good," he finishes. That finishes the prayer, at least. You still have to find a good church. Even for a believer, that can become more complicated than it looks on the surface. Ardoin's also convinced that if you repent once, wholly and completely, you're forgiven for what came before. I'm not sure if that's right. Or should be right. But even through the AutoTune and occasional slickness, I'm feeling this man's humility, dedication, and warmth. As one who is still myself no Christian, I nevertheless proclaim I couldn't be touched or warmed more.