Originally titled Shades of Grace, Bob Carlisle’s third album was renamed and rereleased in the spring of 1997 to reflect the success of the song that swiftly became the go-to choice for father-daughter dances at weddings. Carlisle was inspired to write “Butterfly Kisses” by his daughter’s own transformation from the little girl he knew to a young woman “trying her wings out in a great big world.” The result expresses fundamental truths about parenthood in a way that’s warm, genuine, and irresistibly sweet.
A No. 1 single that earned both a GRAMMYⓇ and a Dove Award, “Butterfly Kisses” was the secular breakthrough for a singer/songwriter already known by faith-based audiences thanks to his time fronting Christian rockers Allies. But like Carlisle's two previous albums, Butterfly Kisses (Shades of Grace) reflects both a varied musical sensibility and the deep personal faith that’s at the core of every song. That’s true whether he’s performing ballads like “Living Water”—vivid proof of Carlisle’s ability to deliver the very biggest of big notes, or letting loose on songs that reflect his formative loves of ‘60s soul and R&B. Indeed, Carlisle sounds very much in the pocket on the exuberant “On My Way to Paradise,” a demonstration of “the joy I’ve found walkin’ on holy ground,” and “I’m Gonna Be Ready,” an unabashedly oId-school gospel song that elicits a spirited contribution from Sweet Comfort Band’s Bryan Duncan.
While its hugely successful title track earned a new audience for Carlisle, Butterfly Kisses (Shades of Grace) also proved that there’re plenty of other sides to contemporary Christian music, some of which could suit more raucous moments on all those wedding dance floors.