For the Fatherless “For the Fatherless” Album Review

Prime Cuts: Good Things, Unfailing Father, Child of the King

Social science, as James Dodson has recently pointed out, has indicated that the first words ever to come from most girls as they begin to speak are their cries for their dads.  Further, adult children who look back at their childhood often forget the toys, the video games, and the clothes dad had lavished on them.  But they are more likely to remember the times spent with dad, be it at a family vacation by the beach or dad simply showing up at their first try outs for the school baseball games.  Our cravings for paternal love is something God has created in each of us; our "father shaped hearts" within each of us will always be restless until we find solace in embrace of our dads, and ultimately in the acceptance of our heavenly father.   For the Fatherless is a Contemporary Christian music duo that is made up of Brian Yakaboski and his wife Christa. It's their burden through this new eponymous record to elucidate the tragic issue of children without earthly fathers and to a greater extent, the impoverishment of those without a heavenly Father.

Even before Brian and Christa met, they have already resonated with a common denominator.  Both of them knew what it means to be without fathers.  As a child, Christa lost her dad, a musician and a worship leader, to brain tumor.  While Brian dad, due to a drug and alcohol addiction, left them.  Instead of living lives of resentment, they have decided to channel their experiences to help others without fathers.  One of such efforts is the release of this debut self-titled album.  Partnering with notable co-writers such as Jeromy Diebler, Krissy Nordhoff, Brett Rutledge and David Moftitt, Brian and Christa have crafted 10 worshipful tunes that are aimed to lead our "father hungry" souls back to our heavenly dad.

Naturally, the theme of God's fatherhood is at the cynosure of a cluster of songs.  If there's a song that is a facsimile of the duo's mission it has to be the tender ballad "Unfailing Father." Draped with gorgeous sounding strings over a piano driven melody, "Unfailing Father" gives definition to the Fatherhood of God.  Sounding like it's a song plucked out of Stuart Townend's song book is the Celtic influenced "Child of the King."  Christa's expressive and crystalline vocals that often calls to mind a studier version of Kari Jobe brings out the array of beauty from the song's lyrics.  Though a little on the more soporific side is the slow and pensive "Welcome Us Home," a modern re-working of the parable of the prodigal son.

The focus is not just on God's fatherhood, but there are also songs that address how God's paternity changes us.  "Not of the Night," a vibrant propulsive pop number, is such an entry.  It also has one of the most arresting opening lines for a song:  "he has a tattoo on his arm - a permanent reminder - that something is different in his heart."   To celebrate our new found adoption in Christ, the lilting "Good Things" will get us dancing and singing to what is the album's catchiest song.  Being worship leaders at their home church, "The Time for Singing Has Come" and the Hebrews 12:28 based "My Anchor True" both are worship anthems created for the service of the church's praise.

In a time where fatherhood is not only rendered pointless by feminists, but often sacrificed in lieu of more cash and promotions, we have pilfered ourselves of God's great gift.  And by further ignoring God's fatherhood, we have foolishly chosen to live on fake substitutes that are ultimately empty and frustrating.  For the Fatherless has done all of us a service as they bring us back to God our loving Father via this record.    

 

 

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