At the very least, I think he may be asking for some specific types of songs: themes, sound, tempo. Now that we know that Jaymes Foster-Levy is the EP, and that there's a delay, the blurb about the 60 writers in Nashville probably was about this album. What did it say, archivists? Something about "talking about CA's needs for his next project", wasn't it? It was country and CCM writers, but top drawer people. I don't think he asked for songs specifically in those genres, but a certain type of song: "upbeat" is one of his favorite words, and people always wonder does he mean uptempo or uplifting. I think he means both. Perfect Day, I Will Carry You, at a faster beat. All About Love. There'll be some things with a pounding rhythm, for sure, and some good hooks. Songs with some lyrical depth. I can see him collaborating to see that songs like this are on his album. I also think there are a lot of good songs recorded already--he's just looking to add 2 or 3 new songs to the mix. If not written by him, then tailored especially for him. That's my theory. Quite likely something inspired by Uganda as well. I think he'll have/is having a much greater role in the process this time.

I've had MOAM in my car since it got too dang hot for Christmas music anymore, and it really is an excellent album in many ways. It's one of those albums I want to listen to all, or almost all of. If I skip anything, I skip NMSS and ISY--blasphemy, to some, I'm sure. I love Touch--blasphemy to others. But almost everyone who loves MOAM loves quite a lot of it, no? It may be 19E leftovers, but they didn't hit rock bottom until this year.

At home I usually listen to my own creations of mostly live performances - we have so much to choose from: demos, TV performances from AI and after, concert recordings. I have a mellower collection that starts with the Kenny Chesney wedding song: "Me and You", includes MOAM with the orchestra on July 4, On the Wings of Love--one of my all-time favorites, the duets with Cherie, Kim and Heather Headley, the acoustic medleys from IT and NAT, Solitaire from the Tonight Show and from Greenville NAT, and so on. Then I have a Clay Rocks collection that really does rock. Has Doves; Signed Sealed Delivered; Chain of Fools; I Knew You Were Waiting; Kimmel I Will Carry You, On the Air The Way, Fantasy from AI, All About Love, Kyrie, Streets, Rosanna (my favorite), Invisible, Still the One, and more. It starts and ends with STO--the demo version from 99 or so, and a live one from NAT.

People say he, we, or some combination of both don't know his musical style, but I think we do know quite a bit. It just doesn't fit neatly into one genre. It's upbeat: a little bit country, a little bit Motown, infused with pop rock. We know he loves the 80's. On the next album there'll definitely be some growling and wailing, and some choir boy moments of pure vocal perfection. It'll often be joyful--he loves to sing and you feel it when you listen. There'll be more variation in tempo than we saw on MOAM. He talked about that as far back as AI. And there'll be great songs.