Randy Archer - I Can Hardly Wait  
Review By: George Peden, CSO Staff Journalist
4/14/08

Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of his wondrous works. I Chronicles 16: 8-9 and 23-25

I Can Hardly Wait is the new release from Randy Archer. The former hit-seeker with country duo Archer Park has turned his hand and voice to a religious album. And before the wowsers turn their ears away, it’s wholesome, melodic and well crafted.

Archer in recent times has proven his years away from the pressures of Billboard hits, a journey he rode in the early 90s with duo mate Johnny Park, has been time well spent. There was last year’s CSO favorite, the spirited Shots In The Dark. On that breakthrough fan-friendly release, Archer, who has penned tunes for Tracy Lawrence and Hank Junior, showed he could deliver on his own account. It was a knockout album. In a different vein, so is this.

Now on a different track, but still with the class and polish that defined Shots, Archer opens up and shares his faith, devotion and talent. I Can Hardly Wait is a joyous celebration of one man’s journey, tabled on a modern and easy-on-the-ear album. One read of Archer’s liner notes and web page show a guy who doesn’t hid his light under a bushel – it’s out there. It’s real, positive and strong. It’s faith, active faith, proudly on show.

The album title, the opening cut, shares the excitement of a salvation that’s on the way. “I Can Hardly Wait” is one of the 11 tracks on this self-penned release out now on Sharewell Records. The tune, a cheerful look to what’s to come in our life’s journey, sets the album’s theme up perfectly. 

A read through the liner notes and Archer’s webpage reveals a guy committed and happy with the music he’s now making. Doubly talented with a keen ability to write memorable tunes and a voice that’s rich, toned with an easy pitch and mellow timbre, I Can Hardly Wait is a move towards another market; it’s sure to draw fans from the converted and those with a leaning to Gospel.

Archer’s ability to tell a story, and not preach, with his music is a winning factor. The radio single, “Mama Prayed For Me”, tells how a kid, wayward and wild, finds the path to God, all through the persistent prayers of a mother who found the time on her knees was eventually rewarded by He who hears every whisper and knows every head hair.

In these times of turmoil and trouble, Archer’s message – that of the simple realization Jesus died and rose for our sins – is a considered reflection that beyond human indifference, there is a way out, a way forward to those who place their trust not in good words and deeds, but rather in a living faith. Archer’s music and message captures those ideals.

Standout tracks include the thoughtful “If There Had Only Been Me”, “I’m Forgiven” and “I Reached Heaven (While I was On My Knees). A closing hat tip also to the album’s musicians; they offer solid foundations to these timely tunes.