Known for connecting liturgical tradition and modern worship, The Brilliance previously released four albums -- The Brilliance, Cavetime, Advent Volume 1 and Advent Volume 2, along with two EPs, Lent and For Our Children. The duo, backed by a variety of musicians including cellists, violinists and rhythm players, have been sharing their music on the road, in churches and "house shows" around the country, including recent Advent and Christmas concerts in California, Texas, Washington, Kansas, Michigan and Washington, D.C.
Their new album, Brother, will release globally the week Lent begins (Feb 18) as both a physical CD available at Christian retail outlets and as a digital album, available through all major digital service providers.
"What I love about The Brilliance is that when they play, the atmosphere changes," says Adrian Thompson, Integrity's Vice President of A&R. "They bring the beauty of art into our worship times with a sense of meditation, reflection and joy to create a 'Selah' moment in the middle of our cluttered lives. I believe The Brilliance have something important to bring to our worship moments. They cut across denominations, cultures and ages... that is why we are delighted to be able to partner with them."
Fans who are discovering The Brilliance echo the same, with reviews for previous albums including comments such as: "hauntingly beautiful," "compelling," "thought-provoking, lovely" and "a breath of fresh air in modern worship."
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Chasing Brilliance| Posted January 29, 2015 The Pitch:
David Gungor (brother of the renowned Michael) and John Arndt team up for a worship record seeking to blend liturgical tradition with modern worship.
What Works:
The album employs rich and intricate musical details to back its mellow and reflective tone. Songs like "Breathe" become quite breathtaking with the added layers of musical goodness. Its finale rises to the occasion with a dramatic piano backing that wouldn't be out of place in a television drama's climactic closing moments. "Love Remains" boasts some catchy vocal hooks, and the finale builds towards an intriguing synthesized finish.
"May You Find A Light (Reprise)" is another noteworthy addition, closing the album out with a complex and rich musical orchestral finish. The music carries a feel that is both Indie and traditional, which creates for a unique and intriguing blend that invites the listener to take time to peel back the layers and see what the music has to offer. And in terms of lyrics, the simple-yet-vertical approach makes a fitting complement to the savory musical blend.
What Doesn't:
When dealing with mellow music, care has to be taken to ensure that the music doesn't ever veer into simply pleasant background music. Brother succeeds in that only partially. It's a pleasant experience throughout, but there are some times it gets a little too comfortable and ends up coasting where it should be captivating.
Closing Thoughts:
For those who want worship music that takes a new and creative, yet subtle, approach to its musical offerings, Brother may be something worth checking out. There's definitely musical ability driving these tunes, even if their mellow nature may risk making their listening appeal fairly niche.
Song to Download Now:
"Breathe" (Get it on iTunes here.)
to add lyrics if not listed.
