Moriah Peter's sophomore release is a powerful collection of anthemic and melodic pop songs that challenge us to boldly live out our faith as Christians. At 21 she delivers a cutting edge, energetic sound that confidently carries a message that resonates with both the young and young at heart.
Click here to add a video. Click to add lyrics if not listed.
Powerful and Passionate| Posted July 14, 2014
Moriah Peters is back with her highly anticipated sophomore release Brave on July 15. Her debut album made quite a splash with the standout songs "Well Done," "I Choose Jesus" and "Bloom." Peters has an incredible heart for her ministry, is a wonderful role model for girls of all ages and has a powerhouse singing voice. Last July she married Joel Smallbone (for KING & COUNTRY), who co-produced this new album with Seth Moseley.
At her young age of 21, she has delivered an album loaded with spiritual maturity. Every song connects emotionally to the Truth that God can make us brave in the face of adversity. As stated in the title track, "Impossible is possible with You."
She opens with the ultra-catchy dance-tempo title track "Brave," which perfectly sets the tone for this excellent album. The title track opens with the lyrics "No one ever told me this would be easy but I never knew it could be this hard / Oh the worry the worry the worry is weighing on me / Could You help me break down all these question marks and make me brave?" Another version of this inspiring song also ends the album, with a guest vocal by Andy Mineo.
"Oh Fear" is next and has a sincere autobiographical style where Moriah personifies fear and declares to the enemy that "I see Jesus coming, you'll never keep me here, I know my God is near."
"To Leave it All Behind" is a wonderful song of encouragement to be unafraid and unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God will never fail us or forsake us until the work of the Lord is finished. Moriah belts out the awesome chorus "I'm not afraid, I'm not ashamed / I won't wait, to leave it all behind… / it's worth the sacrifice to leave it all behind." She co-wrote the song with her husband Joel, and his distinctive vocals can be heard as they sing "If I should fall, You'll catch me."
"You Carry Me" has a message that is biblical and uplifting: "Every moment of my life, God, You never left my side, every valley, every storm You were there." Her dependence on God is beautifully phrased with this standout song featuring a gorgeous string and piano arrangement and Moriah excitedly singing the clever lyrics "But then I look back on every season / and I can find that there are 10,000 reasons / to trust that You can work all things for good."
Moriah's encouragement to be brave continues with the powerful "Stand Strong." She follows it up with the gorgeous "I'll Wait for You," in the style of "We Haven't Even Kissed." A song that really grabs your attention is "Don't Want to Live for Me." Moriah boldly pledges her allegiance to live for God: "here and now, I surrender all my life / I take this vow and abandon me tonight / no more going down and up and down so selfishly / no more going up and down and up / You take the lead, I don't want to live for me."
One of my favorite songs on the album is "Born to be Free." As my 3 daughters grow up, this is a message I want them to hear from me and their Heavenly Father: "Bring every imperfection, Bring every hurt you hide / Look up let go leave it behind / Healing is here now, there's no need to fight." Just like "Bloom," I can hear Moriah's connection to the lyrics as she sings this emotionally charged song. Her gorgeous and upbeat rendition of "Give Me Jesus" has a similar feeling. The song is a perfect mission statement representing Moriah's music ministry: "You can have all this world, give me Jesus." Amen to that.
Closing Thoughts:
Moriah Peters has the gift of encouragement, and every single song lifts me up. She has an infectious and upbeat musical style, layering her strong and distinguished vocals over the top of one hooky melody after another. Moriah has really emerged as one of the top female vocalists in Christian music, and she is a great role model for girls. She has delivered the ideal album to minister to anyone struggling with fear and self-doubt.
Every song is a great showcase of Moriah's excellent singing voice, and you can practically hear her smile as she delivers one infectious song after another. The layered and well produced musical arrangements on this album perfectly accentuate Moriah's powerful and passionate songs. Don't miss out on one of the most inspirational albums of the year. You won't be able to help but dance and sing along with the stand-out songs "Brave," "Oh Fear," "You Carry Me," "Stand Strong," "Don't Want to Live for Me," "Born to be Free" and "Give Me Jesus." If you liked I Choose Jesus, you'll love Brave.
Song to Download Now:
"You Carry Me" (Get it on iTunes here).
Awesome Suace| Posted September 16, 2014
One of the best albums I've heard in a very long time. Didn't know who she was but a friend of mine bought this album for me. I was excited to hear an album from an artist I had never heard before. I started it up and it was captivating. I danced the whole way through each song. Which for me is rare cause I don't normally like to dance. Five out of 5 stars
to add lyrics if not listed.
