by David Wilikofsky
“I’m not a religious man, but I can understand religion” Andrew Choi sings towards the end of Ten Songs of Worship and Praise For Our Tumultuous Times, the latest album from his musical project St. Lenox. It’s a sentiment that immediately resonated with me. Despite being a lapsed Jew, I constantly feel the pull of years of services and Sunday school in the back of my mind; for instance, even though I no longer keep kosher, I still can’t bring myself to eat pork or shellfish (much to the chagrin of my pork and shellfish-loving partner). Religion has informed my life and values even if it’s rituals no longer factor into my everyday life. From the sound of it, Choi is in a similar boat. Although he may not be a religious man, Ten Songs of Worship and Praise For Our Tumultuous Times finds him exploring how religion has fit and currently fits into his life.
Religion is a complicated and nuanced thing, and Choi treats the subject with the respect it deserves. He doesn’t peddles in easy answers or generalizations, preferring to provide personal reminiscences on spiritual experience. Often these musing come in expected form: there’s the portrait of a church community in “Bethesda”, where Choi sings about shaking his neighbors’ hands and driving to Red Lobster after services, the miracles both personal and biblical of “Gospel of Hope”, and the contemplation of “existential gibberish” brought on by the death of a close friend on “Deliverance”. But they can also come from the mundane, like finding transcendence in a solitary evening trip to the supermarket in “Kroger’s Twilight”, and be equally powerful. Although the lyrics are front and center in the listening experience, there’s also a strong sonic undertone of worship music from the use of organs to the cantorial flair of Choi’s swooping vocals that strengthen the impact of his spiritual explorations.
Not all the songs here explicitly deal with religion; as an example, “What Is It Like To Have Children” is about Choi’s desire for children and a family of his own. But the set of songs still feel like they tie back together. More than anything, these songs are about finding meaning and acceptance in life, which can happen through religious belief, community, family or other means. Choi never approaches this weighty subject through the eyes of a zealot, presenting all paths to this ultimate goal as viable and worthy of consideration. While Ten Songs of Worship and Praise For Our Tumultuous Times doesn’t offer any easy answers, its message is ultimately uplifting. We can find that meaning and transcendence in many places, including this music.