Elijah Herrell’s forthcoming EP is titled Casualties, and it’s an appropriate way to describe the population of those faithful to Christ who deal with same-sex attraction. It’s a position of being caught in the middle – too religious and objective for the left; too weak or messy for the right. Many struggle in silence and carry the weight on their own, sometimes their whole lives. Others, of course, deconstruct and renounce their faith. And while there are plenty of albums in the recent years that lean toward this latter approach, Herrell offers a needed and honest perspective.
His songs read like an open letter, and it’s the kind of thing that is worth being said. Churches tend to prioritize families; some have gone as far to say that not having children is sinful. There’s very little place for any type of single people in many instances, certainly not ones past their mid 20s, certainly not ones even older, certainly not ones who might be single forever in pursuit of holiness. But in an age where any degree of male community seems to be augmented by anything other than baring our souls together, isolation swells, depression fosters, and we suffer in our silences. While there’s much more to be said on the topic, Herrell’s approach is at least very welcome: “I will fight, but I want you to come alongside me.”
Check out his demoes on Bandcamp.