This album does not feel like a ladder for the soul, as the Baha'i Writings say music can be. It is a rocket! It is the sound of the upliftment of cultural expression. It is a 12-track wonder. And how exciting that it is far from alone in this; there is a rapidly expanding group of songwriters, singers, and musicians, of great variety of musical styles, who are reflecting their Baha'i inspiration in their work. The Dawnbreaker Collective?s album Arise is another rocket and buttress to my spirit.

I have no music education other than listening, but in just the Unity Prayer I hear an echo of Seals and Crofts and many others with lovely harmonies, to native peoples and their drums, to black spirituals, to rock and soul. On the album I hear an influence of JB Eckl?s work with the group War and with Santana (the gorgeous re-imaging of ?These Great Oppressions? from the Reggae Project album), and he and others? work in gospel and soul, including Eric Dozier. Song after song puts me in awe of the beautiful arrangements and vocals, and the decades of training and experience that went lovingly into this creation.

Recently a blog post at Badasht.net asked ?can you sing the Writings like that?? We have all heard so much music with rhythm that was based on our animal nature, but as we transform cultures to reflect our higher divine nature, these same instruments, beginning with the voice and ancient instrument of the drum, will lift us higher into our true nobility.