Derek Webb – I Was Wrong, I’m Sorry, And I Love You
Fair Trade Services
September 3, 2013

What It Sounds Like:  Introspective searching from a contemporary folk singer-songwriter, and a return to form with his most acoustic album since 2007’s The Ringing Bell.

And on that day
There will be no time for suffering
And on that day
No hunger and no thirst
And on that day
We’ll run out of time for death and tears
No wonder they call it glorious

Everything’s gonna change
And nothing’s gonna stay the way it is
One day you’ll wake and the curse will break
And even you won’t be the same

Derek Webb very well may be my favorite solo artist.  He’s anything but conventional with his songwriting, digging into topics that others flee from, tackling everything from unity in the church, to what the purist definition of true love can be.  I Was Wrong, I’m Sorry, And I Love You is a record that works on numerous different levels, as Webb has stated that its title was born from an idea that he heard while growing up: if you’re going to have success in maintaining any form of long-term relationship in your life, whether that be a friendship, a dating relationship, a marriage, or any other important tie, there are three lines that always must be stated by both parties in order to keep the relationship alive.  Those three lines make up the title of this record.

I Was Wrong,

I’m Sorry, 

And I Love You.

The second that I read that explanation, I was hooked.  It was so humble.  So raw.  It took pride out of the equation and laid the author flat out on the floor.  Take any one of those phrases away, and the whole structure falls apart (except for possibly ‘I love you’ – that is supposed to conquer all, isn’t it?).  They may just be three simple statements that we hear every day, but put them together, and it creates something unbreakable.  One may jump to the conclusion that this is just about romantic love, and nothing could be farther from the truth.  While that’s certainly a relevant use (and the easiest one to “feel”), it needs to be used all across the board, from a brother to a sister, a pastor to a church board member, or a father to his son.

Now, for all the passion behind these songs, I will admit that this isn’t my favorite Derek Webb record, if only because some of his previous records set such a high standard for his work – and musically – the extra press just isn’t there.  Nothing But Love and A Place At Your Table are fine songs, but pale in comparison to a lot of his other works – they seem safe for the standards he has set for himself.  Even with that being said, there are certainly standouts in their respective times and places.  Your Heart Breaks In All The Right Places, along with I Measure The Days, are beautiful odes to a Creator that is more than worthy of giving ourselves over to.  Webb has also always been one to balance out his faith and romance, and we find it here as well, as The Vow and Lover, Part 3 are unquestionable practices in living out not only his love for his wife (and fellow musician) Sandra McCracken, but also (seamlessly intermixed) his record title.

The record is highlighted by its most powerful track right in the dead-center at track six, with Everything Will Change.  What begins as sounding like a track about a scorned lover turns into something completely different:  a yearning for heaven.  A realization that the troubles that we face (or that others face in ways that we can’t even begin to imagine) will one day fade away into the background.  They won’t even be a thought; not even a glimmer.  Not even a memory.

Anyone who favors this record over his others – I couldn’t blame them.  It really is a great work.  I’m just a sucker for She Must And Shall Go Free, The Ringing Bell, and the CCM classic (insert a sarcastic snicker here) Stockholm Syndrome.  There is no doubt that Derek Webb put a great amount of work into this record, and I’m completely appreciative of it.  It’s worth your time.

7/10

If you had to listen to two tracks:  Everything Will Change / Lover, Part 3