First cousins Luke Cornelius Prins and Jeremy David Daw were
born forty-six days apart. Their bio
says: “During 2003-2004 they simultaneously started a heavy rock band, recorded
a Brazilian jazz album, and even found time to tour Finland and Sweden with an
orchestra.” In 2006 they went their own
ways, each continuing to play music. In
2011 the cousins began collaborating on new songs. They have now formed the group MoPrimo and
have released a magnificent new album called BLACKEST SHEEP. ‘Mo’ is slang for ‘my’ and can also mean
‘more’. ‘Primo’ means ‘top quality’ and
means ‘cousin’ in Portuguese.
The title track ‘Blackest Sheep’ starts things off. It is a beautiful classic rock ballad that
draws from the New Testament to reflect on the greatness of Christ’s
forgiveness: “Down this rabbit hole again, the many ways to judge man/So, they
caught her in the act/Who casts the first stone my friend?/Tossed on the ground
midst judging men/Ruse set for their King/As He stooped down to write in sand,
rocks slipped from their hands/We see Your beauty when we catch You calling in
the blackest sheep/It comes in streaming, voice of virtue/Your songs, we love
You, the forgiven, the set free.” On the
breezy pop song ‘Everybody Sees You’ MoPrimo make it clear they don’t want to
hide their Light under a bushel: “Everybody sees You/Everyone will see You/But
not many want to/Not many knew You before/Everybody sees You/Everyone will see
You/And some really want to/So let them get to know You more/You more (4X)/Let
them get to know You (2X)/Fill up on love/By giving it out/Fill up your
life/Share what you got/Fill up on love, the tangible God/Fill up on love.”
‘If I Run’ has an upbeat Celtic
feel to it with Don Reed playing fiddle and Michael Kidd playing banjo. The song points the way to eternal life: “Oh
brothers, sisters/It’s straight and narrow/Oh brothers, sisters, it’s straight
and narrow/I won’t die/I won’t die/You won’t die, won’t die/We will follow
it/We won’t die, won’t die.” ‘Rose’ is
one of five songs on which Jeremy Daw’s younger brother Justin contributes
backing vocals. This romantic song
features a Beach Boys type vocal delivery.
Here are some of the words: “What grows the rose and all its
constituents?/Fragrance and pedals disclosing elegance/Melts the hearts of all
the girls and the boys love to give them/Credence to chivalry/Gentry of
excellence/How gently matrons foster, disclosing assurance/Bless the hearts of
all the girls when boys bestow honour to them/Melts the hearts of all the boys
when girls are respectful of them.” The
following Biblical principle from Proverbs 31 is also included in the lyrics:
“Charm is deceitful, beauty is vain, but fearing the Lord is worthy of praise.”
‘Father Son’ includes a nice
electric guitar solo and tells the moving story that Jesus told of the prodigal
son: “He thought there was freedom seeing his life as a curse/He took his whole
blessing, a large estate’s worth/Drained away on lavished living, how quickly
gold turns into sand/And now he’s frail with pockets empty, alone on a
stranger’s land.../When you’ve forgotten Me, you’re still my son/I’m waiting
with open arms, as far as you run.”
‘Lone Wolf’ is a soft pop song.
It seems to be the song of one going through a separation: “Alone’s a
lonely place/My spouse: an empty space/I will see it through/With or without
you/With or without you/Cause God’s got you and He’s got me/Fulfilling each and
every need/Even good drama; we all love drama.”
Miles is credited with wolf howls on this one.
‘All I Want’ is a very
reflective, radio friendly song: “All I want is what the good Lord gives me/Not
a double mind and eyes that sway/I make yet want more money/But isn’t that
idolatry?.../If one day I get cancer and when I go away/I’ll believe Your
love’s my answer, have all I could ask for on that day.” ‘Mature Spirit’ is one of three songs on
which friend Christopher Conley plays electric guitar. This song uses nautical terminology to
describe the journey we call life: “Launch this ship into the ocean/Held up
high on salty waves/The crew holds fast bow to stern/The captain grins as
anchors raise/All we can be is ready and willing/It’s not up to me/It’s not up
to you/Do you know what is written in your heart?/It’s in mine too/It’s in mine
too/Peaking waves, the mature spirit crested with eagle’s wings/Her hull cuts over
the depths below/Patience is the cargo praised.”
‘Light of Life’ is a cheerful sounding pop song with
additional vocals by Jovi Daw. The song
praises Christ: “Piercing shadows, and still the dark could never
understand/Life enduring, is calling out to see the Light of Man/Illuminates
the mountains, dives deep into the sea/Commanding night at sundown, a lamp
before our feet/When the night falls, the Light of Life is living inside of
me/Warming every morning/Grows the smallest seed/Sets all life in motion/Gift
of life/The Light of Man/Beginning ‘till the End”. On ‘Kings Alone’ Dave Barton plays trumpet,
while Douglas Vieira plays trombone.
Lyrically, it speaks of how we oft become isolated from others in our
high tech world: “In a virtual world, you wait by yourself, placed like a toy
high on the shelf/A string and a loop that needs to be pulled, to bring out the
life you wanted in full.../Ruling kingdoms we call our own, but kings can’t
rule when they’re all alone.” These
words prove that this is not a song of despair though: “Our life is fleeting,
we’re already leaving/Pray and wait for new hope to come/All will see the hope
that has come/The way and the truth/The brightest of light/The morning stars
shines through the pitch of the night/Although hope’s unseen, we know to be
true/Just from one promise and what it can do.”
‘Someday’ is a happy folk song with Doug Johnson on pedal
steel guitar. It anticipates life
eternal in heaven with great joy: “Someday we all will know/Someday we’ll all
bow low/Someday we’re going to meet the King/Through the clouds towards the One
who saved my soul and sent His Son/Ever present in His love, evermore/It’s
beautiful, when You call I will come/The soul will sing forever, the body will
decay/The brilliance of jasper and crystals/Suffering no longer, troubles
washed away.” ‘Watching the Days’ is a
song of companionship: “My name is your friend, so throw me your cares cause I
care for you/Even if you think I don’t, I do/I really do.../No pressure my
friend, your heart to defend, and I feel tense too/Even if you doubt, just
know, it’s pure/I love you.”
BLACKEST SHEEP is artistic, experimental, and unique. It is honest and contemplative. It is a breath of fresh air in the Canadian
Christian Music scene. It is diverse,
deep, and never boring. The vocals are
pleasant. Jeremy Daw of MoPrimo says:
“We feel our message is always edifying, clear, endearing and easy to
follow...Our hope is that our music points listeners to Christ.” Fans of the pop sounds of Michael Roe and the
Beach Boys should give this one a listen.
I’m rating it 90%. To purchase visit iTunes and CD Baby. Look for a website at www.MoPrimoMusic.com soon. You can also check them out on Facebook!