Wash Away

One quick glance at the Don Poythress rap sheet is more than enough to clue one in as to what his debut in Christian music, Wash Away, sounds like. Much like his clientele over the years — which has included the likes of Tim McGraw, Darryl Worley, Travis Tritt, Jaci Velasquez, the Martins, and Brian Littrell, among many others — Wash Away is a praise-filled homage to God and country, but in a context that is more congregational than it is performance-oriented. Recorded live at Nashville's Christ Church, the disc is essentially a big contemporary worship event, with Poythress serving as both song leader and master of ceremonies. Mindful that he is not the center of attention, Poythress is careful to keep the songs lithe and accessible, allowing for as much interaction with congregants as possible. Since he is merely a nexus between the audience and God, he tries to not distract by avoiding the trap of veering too closely to either side of the country-CCM divide. Instead he strikes a happy medium, a middle-of-the-road approach that's neither too much this, or too much that. Some may consider that a compromise, but for Poythress, who has made a career out of serving the right kinds of songs, the concession is just his way of doing business as usual, except with a different type of Client in mind.