Christian music’s top-selling act, GRAMMY®, AMA and GMA Dove Award-winning artist Casting Crowns offers its fifth studio project, Come To The Well, on October 18, 2011. Produced by Mark Miller, Come To The Well is Casting Crowns’ first new studio album in two years. As with previous records, this one draws inspiration from the band’s ministry efforts at its home church, Eagles Landing Baptist Church outside of Atlanta, where frontman Mark Hall serves as youth pastor.
“Teaching through the story of the woman at the well with my teenagers and my families is where it all came from,” says Hall. “Your friends aren’t the well. They aren’t always going to do the right thing or be there for you. Your athletic scholarship can’t be the well. If your knee goes out, your well is dry. You need to draw from Jesus, pour into that. That is where it started... with the idea of Jesus being the well versus other things.”
Come To The Well is filled with songs that both challenge and encourage believers in their walk. Kick-off single “Courageous” contains a powerful lyric that exhorts men to lead bold, uncompromising lives for the Lord, while “Jesus, Friend of Sinners” admonishes the church to show compassion. “Already There” is a potent treatise on God’s faithfulness and “My Own Worst Enemy” cautions Christians about falling back into past behavior. Hall collaborated on several of the tracks with top songwriters including Steven Curtis Chapman, Matthew West and award-winning country songwriter Tom Douglas.
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Casting Crowns [Come To The Well]| Posted October 21, 2011 Casting Crowns has sold more than eight million albums to date and has been named Billboard magazine’s top-selling Christian act for the past four years.The band recently celebrated its first two RIAA certified Gold singles, “Who Am I” and “Praise You In This Storm.” Over the past eight years, Atlanta based Casting Crowns has consistently delivered music that points believers back to what truly matters, and the band does so yet again on Come to the Well. On its fifth studio album, Mark Hall once again takes some of the messages he’s shared with students and parents at his home church, Eagles Landing, and pours them into songs. Like Casting Crowns' previous albums, Come to the Well is filled with songs that both challenge and encourage believers in their walk. The lead single, “Courageous,” is showcased in the Sherwood Pictures film of the same title. The powerful lyric exhorts men to lead bold, uncompromising lives for the Lord. The bridge of the song has a great takeaway message for the album: “Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.”(Micah 6:8).The song certainly fits the musical style of the opening songs from the past few albums, musically reminding me of “Lifesong,” “What This World Needs” and “Until The Whole World Hears.” “Courageous” and “My Own Worst Enemy” are the only rock style songs on the album, which overall takes on a mellow, reflective and at times country music feel.
“City On The Hill” features strong lyrics reflecting our calling as Christians from Matthew 5. “Jesus, Friend of Sinners” includes the most challenging message on the album in the style of their early hit songs “If We Are The Body” and “Stained Glass Masquerade.” The song opens with the lyrics, ”Jesus Friend of Sinners, we have strayed so far away, we cut down people in Your name, but the sword was never ours to swing…The world is on their way to You, but they’re tripping over me; always looking around, but never looking up; I’m so double-minded.” That type of bold lyric for the church has been this band’s trademark and I felt it was somewhat missing from their last album so I was glad to hear a return to that style and also twelve original new songs from the band with no cover songs this time. A standout track is “The Well” about the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. It has a catchy and memorable chorus “all who thirst will thirst will thirst no more…the world will try, but it can never fill, so leave it all behind and come to the well.” Amen to that! The song could end up as this successful band’s biggest hit song and I expect the song could also ‘cross over’ to mainstream Country music along with heavy rotation on Christian music radio stations. The beginning of the album is loaded with several radio-friendly songs.
The album takes a cool artistic turn with “SpiritWind,” which is one of the first songs Hall ever wrote. It also has strong lyrics calling out “believers leading carnal lives.” The song has a bluegrassflavor unlike any thing Casting Crowns has ever done and it’s another catchy and memorable song. Hall, who has won two “Songwriter of the Year” GMA Dove Awards, collaboratedwith Steven Curtis Chapman, Matthew West and others. Hall wrote “Just Another Birthday” with Tom Douglas, an award-winning country songwriter who has penned numerous country hit songs including “I Run To You” by Lady Antebellum. Band members Megan Garrett and Melodee DeVevo have beautifully expressive voices and Megan takes the lead on the poignant “Just Another Birthday.” The song reminds me of “Does Anybody Hear Her” from a first person girl’s perspective as she cries out to see her father again. It’s a reminder for fathers to remember their true priorities and be the spiritual leaders of their homes. I have three young daughters and this is the most moving song on the album as I know that so many young girls lack a father figure. The message of the song is to cry out to God, who is the “Father to the fatherless.” Melodee sings “Face Down,” a worship song penned by Hector Cervantes. “Wedding Day” is about the Second Coming and anticipates the thrill of reveling in the presence of God as the Bride of Christ.
CLOSING THOUGHTS Come to the Well is the best album by Casting Crowns since Lifesong. Opening tracks “Courageous,” “City On The Hill” and “Jesus, Friend of Sinners” are catchy songs with pointed messages for the church. “SpiritWind,” “Just Another Birthday,” “Wedding Day” and “Face Down” are all poignant and moving songs. “The Well” is my favorite song by this band since “Who Am I” and sums up our walks as Christians, “the world will try, but it can never fill, so leave it all behind and come to the well.”
More Worshipful than others| Posted January 18, 2012
I love Casting Crowns. Their heart and passion for God is unbelieveable. Their new album is amazing. It is a more worshipful album than the others that they put out. Their song Jesus, Friend of the Sinner, is one of my favorite. Their album is totally awesome!!
Casting Crowns is a favorite band of mine, and this latest album would have to be one of my favorites. especially the song couragous. beyond inpirational, and truley amazing. i am beyond excited to see the movie!
Come To The Well| Posted November 14, 2011
Well done overall! At moments, certain tracks from this release reminded me a lot of the bands first two albums with their ability to bring you into a deeper place of introspection and analysis into our motives and actions toward others. Praying that many will be ministered to through this release and the bands ongoing ministry.
Great album| Posted November 10, 2011
I love Casting Crowns, i love their music, their love for God, and the love for their fans keep up the good work guys yall always help lift me up into the arms of God when i am feeling down or scared God Bless you guys
COME TO THE WELL| Posted October 30, 2011
ABSOULTELY LOVE THIS CD. This Cd is lyrically pleasing and it's messages are timely and are well presented. This album is one that is sure to not dissapoint the listener.Once again Casting Crowns has come out with an album that stirs the soul and is musically appealing.
Satisfied| Posted October 29, 2011 Satisfaction. That elusive state we work so hard to achieve and never seem to reach. It is a quest worthy of an adventure movie as we search all the corners of the earth to find that one thing that will fill us up completely. What we often fail to realize is that we were never meant to be satisfied by the things of this world. It is only when we drink of the life that God offers that our thirst is truly slaked. That's the message of Casting Crowns 5th studio album, Come To The Well. Co-writers with Mark Hall include Matthew West, Bernie Herms, Jason Hoard, Steven Curtis Chapman, Nichole Nordeman, and Tom Douglas. With the exception of the last name (can't say; I never heard of him before) I think that's a pretty sweet list.
"Courageous", from the hit movie of the same name, starts off this album with an impassioned plea to men, calling them to stand up for their families. While so many men have misguided, passive views of manhood, God desires them to be the leaders of their families and committed prayer warriors. When I first heard this song a few months ago, thanks to a free song download, I thought it sounded a lot like typical CC. Which isn't a bad thing; just not surprising. Next, "City On The Hill" is a sobering tale of what can happen when the church divides along ministry lines. When the foot is not a hand and the ear is not an eye. If we abandon God's people because our talents aren't welcome or we're not willing to allow someone else's, we flip the dimmer switch.
Though we are sinners saved by grace, we develop an unhealthy habit of judging without loving. "Jesus, Friend Of Sinners" is a modern-day repentant Pharisee's prayer for the eyes and heart of God to replace our blind and cold ones. If all the world ever sees of Jesus is us, it's no wonder there are so many lost people. "Already There" has a different sound from typical Crowns fare; the kind of radio-friendly pop that's typical of newer acts. A song that was made for the uncertain times we now live in, we are reminded that God sees the end from the beginning.
"The Well" calls everyone to leave everything that weighs them down and drink eternal life. Thematically similar to Tenth Avenue North's "Love Is Here", it's a gentle whisper drawing us away from death and futility to find rest in God's arms. "Spirit Wind" draws parallels between Ezekiel's vision of dry bones coming back to life and the need for the body of Christ to come alive again and reform as an army for God's work. I love the country flavour this song has; it brings to mind old-fashioned tent revivals and river baptisms. "Just Another Birthday" is a ballad about a love-starved girl who looked in the wrong places but finally finds true love in Christ. Megan Garrett provides the vocals for this heart-stirring song of redemption and hope.
"Wedding Day" elegantly describes the day the Bride of Christ is finally married to Him. The marriage theme continues with "Angel", Mark Hall's love song to his wife, Melanie. This is one Casting Crowns song that might even make it to mainstream radio airplay. It's so sweet and pure, and absolutely perfect for Valentine's Day. The mood swings dramatically from love to despair in "My Own Worst Enemy". Hall likens past sins to a zombie that has broken out of the grave and is in hot pursuit. (Except he doesn't use that word.) He asks Jesus to deliver him from the sins of his past and continually remind him that he has been redeemed. "Face Down" is the only song Hall did not co-write; fellow Crowns bandmate Hector Cervantes supplies this tender lyric, while the ladies sing this prayer of humility and submission. Lastly, "So Far To Find You" draws comparisons between his family's adoption of Hope, a little girl from China, and Christ's adoption of us as His children.
Once again, Casting Crowns is brutally and beautifully honest. About the cruel ironies and the unbelievable blessings of the world we live in; the value of our pursuits, and of the One who pursues us; what is worth dying for and what is worth living for. Come To The Well is an invitation to find real life, and if I were you, I'd definitely RSVP. The consequences of obeying the call are earth-shattering, and the benefits are limitless.
While "Until The Whole World Hears" was good in some respects, it sounded more like a sophmore slump than the fourth CD from a successful, award-winning band. To me, that CD was a misstep especially since it was new songs weaved with covers. Now, "Come to the Well," was a return to what made Casting Crows so successful: a straightforward hard hitting message wrapped with tight production, beautiful singing, and fresh music. CC took a risk in "Spirit Wind," and I believe it paid off. I believe they have returned to their form last seen on "Lifesong." Overall this is a great CD. But I am sure there are bound to be haters. I must remind people that CC has been more about the ministry than the music since they started this gig.
Fresh!| Posted September 26, 2011
Thanks New Release Tuesday for letting Casting Crowns' new album be heard in advance! I love it! I collect their albums and definitley want this fresh new one too! The album has songs I really like!
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