Ron Block – DoorWay

The second album of faith-based music from Ron Block, banjo player and guitarist with Alison Krauss & Union Station, unfolds as an allegory for a believers awakening and subsequent spiritual journey. All the songs are Block originals, and he carefully annotates the inspiration for each song in his liner notes. Blocks lyrics are intriguing, if often more interesting than the music that carries the message. The bluegrass tunes, naturally, feel right, and a few others Things Arent Always As They Seem, The Blackness Of The Need still seem grounded. But several songs teeter on the brink of a contemporary Christian edginess that threatens to throw the whole project off-balance. Block produced this set himself, and that may have left him a bit nearsighted. You wont find yourself doubting his passion or conviction, but some of his production choices could leave you scratching your head.