When the songwriters behind “City Psalms One” penned the album, they imagined churches singing along, praying for Tucson.
The eight original songs are prayers for the city and peppered with allusions to the streetcar, Mission San Xavier del Bac and life in a dusty desert.
The album is a project of 4Tucson, a Christian nonprofit created to unify churches and ministries across the city.
“We want to get the album into people’s hands so they will pray along with us for Tucson, or they will look at Tucson differently or love it more,” said Brian Goodall, the director of 4Tucson’s Prayer Domain.
“Or tolerate the potholes more,” he added with a laugh.
City Psalms is not a band but a nondenominational project by Christians to share local stories and songs that encourage people to pray for and serve Tucson.
For this first album, Mike Almeroth, a pastor and musical worship leader at Epicenter Church of Tucson, and Cameron Hood of the acoustic-duo Ryanhood were the main vocalists and recruited musician friends to help.
Five songwriters — primarily Goodall, Hood and Almeroth — originally worked on the first album, which came out in early 2014. On Saturday at a prayer event, they officially released a deluxe edition including remixes and six acoustic versions of songs, for a total of 14 tracks.
“We want to create stuff that’s really creatively engaging, but we also want to do something that is simple enough that people can sing, grab a guitar and lead,” Goodall said.
He imagines churches adding these Tucson-centric songs to their usual musical lineup of traditional hymns and Christian hits. Chord charts and videos for each song are posted at citypsalms.com.
And if the album’s indie and alternative sound doesn’t appeal, no problem. City Psalms is only a tool to inspire other local musicians to write songs that better fit their church or musical style.
A second album and upcoming crowdfunding campaign are already in the works. Albums after that by other songwriting groups may have more of a gospel or Latin flair, said Hood.
“I’m not the right person to do those styles, but there is somebody who is,” Hood said. “They don’t necessarily need a 34-year-old white, American male writing them folk-rock songs. Just be who you are, but love our city.”
From a fresh idea to a remastered album, the project has taken more than two years to produce. Donations covered the price tag of about $10,000, Goodall said.
“Tucson is a place where new ideas launch, and this is something that is uniquely our town,” he said.
Individuals in Boston and Portland have already expressed interest in replicating the idea in a way that resonates with their own communities.
As these lyrics subtly reference local issues such as immigration and urban development, they also pray for restoration and revival.
“We touch on progress and how sometimes progress is scary to some people and revolting and then celebrated by others,” Goodall said. “The streetcar comes in, and it’s polarizing. What does it mean to be a city where progress brings tension?
“Our response is it’s all in God’s hands.”
But this album isn’t a call to sit back and do nothing. Instead, the songwriters want it to unite Christians to meet actual needs.
“It’s really important to care about the city we live in and get out of the little groups we keep ourselves in for comfort’s sake,” Almeroth said. “When we are willing to do that, the community can be restored, and our city is one that needs restoration.”
Under the City Psalms umbrella, Goodall is also working with a team on a book and film that apply a Christian perspective to the history of Tucson. Both have spring release dates.
“What we see with City Psalms is we see Tucson has a story, and it is not finished yet,” Goodall said. “God has his fingerprints all over it, and God cares about Tucson and the people of Tucson. He has plans and purposes, and there are great stories of when people have said, ‘Yes’ to him.”
