Como Now: The Voices of Panola County, MS

Last year, I attended church at Mt. Zion Baptist located on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. An old lady spotted us as obvious visitors, walked up to us, greeted us with two gentle hands and welcomed us to her church.

And as I stood during worship, I felt something I’ve rarely felt at a worship service. The music connected everyone in a very profound way. There was so much soul and passion coming through in every singer—on stage and in the congregation—I felt an undeniable sense of community and belonging in that music.

That feeling, that soul, that sense of freedom and love is perfectly brought out in Como Now, a collection of gospel song and spirituals. Daptone Records put out an ad in the small town of Como, Mississippi for local families to come and have their traditional and original song recorded. The result is a record created out of hundreds of years of gospel tradition and soul delivered by undiscovered singers, songwriters and preachers.

The entire album is sung a cappella so without any musical diversity, some songs can become repetitive. But, there is enough personality in each singer and in each song to keep the album moving well.

The album beings with a deep and powerful, “Can See So Much.” In it, Brother and Sister Walker sing about seeing the beauty of the world by Christ and the Holy Spirit. “Trouble In My Way,” speaks of God’s protection in our many troubling circumstances just like He helped Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. “Someone Needs You Lord,” by Mary Moore tells of the need for Christ everywhere that there is pain and suffering: “In the old folks home/They need you Lord/That motherless child/He needs you now Lord.”

Como Now is a Psalms for today, a beautiful expression of nearly every facet of the human experience.