Bethel Music,the worship music and community of songwriters emerging from Bethel Church in Redding, CA, releases today (July 31, 2015) amidst acclaim its second, all instrumental, full-length album,
Without Words: Synesthesia, through Provident Music Distribution. Well-known Bethel Music songs, such as "It is Well," "You Make Me Brave," "Over My Head," "This is Amazing Grace" and more, have been reconstructed with lush instrumentation set against orchestral sonic landscapes. The recording continues what Bethel Music began in 2013 with the release of its first instrumental album,
Without Words, which received wide critical acclaim.
Crafted in the spirit of Colossians 3:17,
Without Words: Synesthesia is at times reminiscent of the more organic Without Words, but this sophomore project takes a distinctly new direction, incorporating electronic elements and ethereal vocal layering.
Streamed on RELEVANT's "
The Drop" and at
NewReleaseToday.com earlier this week, and with numerous 5-star reviews already on iTunes, here is how the critics are responding to the 19-track recording:
"...Without Words: Synesthesia isn't just your ordinary instrumental album where the original songs are just stripped off the vocals. Rather, this is a piece of (postmodern) art where splashes of electronic beats, layers of ethereal sounding vocals, and orotund sounding synth lines are creatively interwoven colorfully to create for us moments of worship, relaxation and mystery. ...this CD is a treasured trove. It will provide for us more than an hour of gorgeous soundtrack to own personal worship." --
Hallels.com
"While listening, I was reminded of the story of David and Saul from 1 Samuel 16:23: 'And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away' (NLT). The team at Bethel have in essence become a modern day David, taking up their instruments and, without any words, ushering in the calming presence of God." --
NewReleaseToday.com
"...allow me encourage you to preorder the album today. As I listened to the album to write my review, I occasionally found myself quietly singing along and at other times getting lost in the music, allowing my mind and soul to wander with a worshipful focus. Something so many of us could find valuable in this fast-paced culture we live in." --
HollywoodJesus.com
"When I first clicked the play button, I was expecting to hear pretty straightforward instrumental versions of familiar worship songs. But that's not what I heard. These songs have been reimagined and reinterpreted without words. ...an excellent album to have on hand for your worship services: preludes, background music during prayer or communion, or musical accompaniment to homemade videos. And honestly, it made for some awesome background music while I was at work." --
www.WorshipLinks.us
"This whole album, every single song, is set up and balanced perfectly between the electronic pieces and instruments...If you're a fan of worship music, you'll love this album. If you're a fan of instrumental music, you'll love this... masterpiece of an album." --
The Christian Beat
All the latest Bethel Music news, including information on its current 5-star acclaimed and bestselling (No. 1 Christian, No. 9 overall album, Billboard)
We Will Not Be Shaken CD/DVD, its touring, chord charts, videos and more resources, can be found at
www.bethelmusic.com. Links to Bethel Music social media sites include
www.facebook.com/bethelmusic,
@bethelmusic and
http://instagram.com/bethelmusic.
