From her origins in the misty peaks of North Carolina's Appalachian Mountains to her current home along the picturesque canals of Gouda, Netherlands, singer-songwriter Regina Vandereijk has crafted a debut album that is both profoundly intimate and spiritually resonant. The Lord Is There is a masterful fusion of Southern Appalachian folk and gospel with a modern pop-rock edge--a reflection of Regina's roots, faith, and life story.
Album Review: The Lord Is There| Posted February 07, 2025 What You Need To Know
Vandereijk's website describes her new project as follows: a profound journey through the Bible, this album tells the story of humanity's relationship with God across ten tracks. From creation to sin and redemption through Jesus Christ, it explores His death, resurrection, and victory over sin, death, and hell. With themes of overcoming through intimacy with God, the album invites listeners to embrace forgiveness and prepare for Christ's return.
What It Sounds Like
Vandereijk commands a powerful voice that elevates these tracks above your standard worship fare. These hymns feel like they should be blasted in grand cathedrals. There's a smooth and crisp quality to her voice, and yet it is strong and demands attention. While not without a number of faster melodies, the strength of these songs lies in the introspection and contemplative, with slow-burn tracks driving the bulk of the runtime.
Spiritual Highlights
Whether it's the proclamation of Christ's mercy and forgiveness in "Wave of Mercy" or the reminder of his faithfulness in "Promise Keeper," the album always keeps the themes "the Lord is there" at the forefront. Even "Wake Up, Boy" draws listeners into the grace and healing that comes with returning to Christ.
Best Song
The aforementioned "Wake Up, Boy" stands above the others with a dynamic melody that carries an upbeat, yet reverent tone. The song's bouncier approach adopts a folky vibe that helps its vivid imagery stand out.
The Lord is There - Review by Rob Allwright - One Man In the Middle| Posted January 27, 2025
By Rob Allwright
Regina Vandereijk now lives in Gouda, Netherlands but is originally from the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, USA. The album was produced by Trevor Michael and it was recorded in a studio in Eastbourne, UK. It is fair to say that there are a lot of different influences feeding into this release. This is Regina’s debut full-length release, following on from her 4-Track EP which was released 20th September 24. Regina says, “The album holds pieces of my testimony” but that its also “a journey through scripture” reflecting Ephesian 5:19’s command for us to “sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs”. Alongside this release Regina has a series of devotionals that are also planned to dig deeper into the songs as she unfolds the story of the Gospel from Creation to the Cross and on into Jesus’ return.
The album opens with the idea of the trinity in perfect union of Father, Spirit and Son. This could be what existing before time began with the Word, and that Word awakening creation, but it is also the Word that calls us to new life. This song in the creation story reminds us that God knew what the cost would be for us to truly be His children and His son’s perfect bride. In a quick review it is hard to unpack everything that is contained in “Wave of Mercy”, there is a simplicity about the idea of Gods perfect family, but it is wrapped up in the complexity of Creation and God’s greater plan to bring us to Himself. Regina brings this to us in an upbeat worship style, which leads into a worship section towards the end which allows us to not get too caught up in the elements of theological exegesis that is in this song, instead allowing us to focus on Jesus and the imagery of the cross and the lamb.
“You’re The Light” opens with “From the dust, I was with you” which feels like another reference to the creation of Adam. As with many of the songs on this album there are deeper dual meanings, or things that Regina is trying to pull out. One of these is of humanity formed by God, aware of His wonders but unaware of the reality of Him. When we hear that call of this great God, and we respond we begin to understand the friendship and awe and realise how desperately we need Jesus in our lives as our anchor.
Society has made the story of Noah’s Ark a children’s story with cute animals on a boat, with the giraffes sticking their heads up through the ceiling and smiling. In reality, it is the greatest judgement God has ever poured out on the Earth in a story that involves the apparent contradiction that an all-knowing God regretted making mankind because of their evil, all apart from one man, and by extension, his family. “Waters of the Deep” reflects on this moment in history and while it was a judgement, He offered grace. Noah could have brought every person he knew on board the boat that He was building, he tried to convince the people around him for 120 years and no-one was willing! When everyday is sunshine and you’ve never known the rain the idea of a flood is quite abstract. This song continues that while God allows the waters to crash over us, He also gives us his loving kindness, not only that, but in a reference to one of my favourite verses, He is singing over us.
One of the key tracks of this album is “Wake Up Boy” which looks at repentance and redemption whilst also, I think, reflecting the stories of the prophets Elijah and Elisha and the way they brought 2 separate boys back to life through Gods word. This is a hauntingly beautiful song which encourages us to let go of our fear and submit to God and in our trust of Him we can go out into the world with positivity. Possibly seeing for the first time the colours and splendour of the world around us.
As we hit the halfway mark, we appropriately get a couple of songs that seem to represent the Psalms. “Always” certainly has echoes of various Psalms especially 121. This worship song highlights that God is always the same and lists off some of those qualities of Yahweh that don’t change. Alongside this track there is “Promise Keeper” which is another attribute of God that doesn’t change. God is faithful, what He has said will happen, He has secured our righteousness and peace through His sacrifice, because of this we will put our hope in Him.
There are so many levels to the next track it is hard to know where to start. On the surface it is called “Two Become One” and you can tell from that, it is about marriage. It is, it reflects the wedding dance of Jesus and the church, and it also reflects our human celebrations. However, after the wedding there can be certain expectations, one of those is the growth of a family through having children. When this doesn’t happen, and you want it so badly, there can be a lot of questioning. This is a struggle that Regina herself has faced and some of that finds its way into this song as she discusses the promises to Abram and Sara that they would have a Son. God has done these things in the past and the prayer is that God will make a way where there is no way. However, as a couple you must believe together and allow God to lead us on.
God has an excellent track record, but often we have really short memories. We therefore need really positive songs like “We Will Overcome” to counteract our human disbelief and negativity about the situations that we face today. This song starts out telling God of how faithful He has been to us, but also that we have the choice as to whether we stop and listen to what God has to say to us. This is important, when we hear from God, He will often give us the word we need for the next season. He doesn’t tell us everything, but enough for us to keep going. If we don’t stop and listen to what God is saying when He speaks then we may lose faith, or we may find it harder to hear God with the activity of that season going on around us. I love this part of the song that says; “I marvel how breakable people get merged with immortal, invisible, Eternal God”. This is about communion with God which is where this album started. This is a song that actually feels a little bit like something from Rend Collective, but with the Appalachian flavour.
Inviting people into that communion with God, the family, is what this album is all about and it’s the focus of “Open Up The Doors”. Church is not a social club for us to sit in on a Sunday and walk outside and keep in our own little bubble floating down the street not touching anyone or anything unless we pop it and let the unclean world in. The song talks about God moving down from the head into the body, which reminds me of the Casting Crowns song “If We Are The Body”. This song also identifies our problem, the reason we don’t reach out, because we are hard-hearted and selfish! Wow, Regina is not pulling any punches with the church! In another place in this song, she says “I’m through with living like a harlot queen to my king who’s already won the fight”. We are meant to be the bride of Christ, but instead we are so enamoured with the things of the world that we give ourselves to them much more than to His passion. His passion is for the bride to be pure and the people to know there is freedom. The plea in this song is for the Spirit to come down and to really affect His people so that we “die to ourselves and let your kingdom abound”. I have to say, it has been a long time since I have heard this strong a song for spiritual revival that starts in our individual hearts cutting us to the quick! The conviction that hits home comes with a plea for grace for us, so we can move past this into showing our love for our friends and neighbours.
The final track brings us all the way to the return of our Saviour, simply entitled “He’s Coming”. Looking forward to that day when we will get to know Him, to see Him face to face. No matter what the world says or believes, even if we aren’t ready, He’s going to come again and nothing and no-one can stop Him. For those who don’t believe this is the chance to understand the call from darkness into His light, before it is too late. The phrase that echoes through this song is “taste and see, that the Lord is good” which echoes Psalm 34.
For a debut album this singer / songwriter is not pulling any punches. There are plenty of challenges in this album for all of us no matter how long we have been calling Christ our Lord. Whether that is to listen to God as we walk through the seasons, to trust God with our longings, to call out our own sin that stops us really taking Jesus to our neighbours, it’s all in this album! These things aren’t easy topics, and I feel a level of prophetic release over these words, they are things that God is saying to us individually and collectively as church and churches around the world. If we are going to truly reach the lost then we need to be the hands and feet, but we can’t be what we need to be if we are in paralysis. In the very first few words of the album we are reminded that God is in perfect communion and union as the Father, Spirit and Son. We are invited into that communion which includes the fact that God is sufficient for all our needs and our failures – all of which are dealt with on the cross. We need to trust in that element of God more as we walk through our lives to invite other people in to find that God is trustworthy. If we don’t believe it ourselves, how can we declare it to others?
There is so much depth in this release I could probably talk about some of these concepts for hours. They are presented in a brilliant way, the recording sounds wonderfully crisp and clear. The instrumentation gives way to vocals at the right time and there is a good balance of change within the songs. The vocal itself is an asset, Regina can sing, and there is a level of passion that drives these words of challenge and trust home, but not in an condemning way, but in a spirit of encouragement to get our priorities right, and everything that might be a challenge to us is also a challenge to her own faith! What a strong debut which does indeed include those Appalachian influences but also influences of modern pop-worship through the church.
See review Here: https://onemaninthemiddle.com/music/the-lord-is-there
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