Revisiting The Classics | Posted July-21-2014
A music icon for decades now, Amy Grant paved the way for many pop artists in Christian music today. Her beautiful voice and passion for what she sang made her a stand-out favorite and continue to make her one of the brightest mainstays in the world of gospel music. Also achieving crossover success in mainstream and pop radio, Amy's music has been heard by millions.
On August 19th, Grant will release the first remix album of her career. She says it's somewhat of a surprise to hear these older songs with a "renewed energy and fresh production."
She starts off the album with a classic that speaks of the power of love, accurately titled "That's What Love Is For." Taking us back to the beginning of her career, the 80's track "Stay For Awhile" and the encouraging "You're Not Alone" make the cut of favorites found in this collection. Also included are the wildly successful "Baby Baby," inspired by her daughter, and the followup mainstream pick "Every Heartbeat."
One of Grant's more recent hits, "Better Than A Hallelujah," makes a revamped appearance on the record, giving it a wide timeline of song selections. Christian radio favorite "Say Once More" and the inspirational "Find A Way" both continue on the theme of love that we find in many of Amy's songs. These lead up to a bonus mix of "Stay For Awhile" and "Mega Mix" that close out the album on a high-energy note.
Closing Thoughts:
In Motion: the Remixes served well the purpose of bringing back to life old favorites and putting a new perspective on the classics. Although classified as a dance/pop/electronic album, fans of Grant's music will enjoy these new takes. A remix album proved to be a stretch for her ballad-driven style, and while I felt there could have been more variation in the sonic landscape, it was a strong effort and a solid step in a new direction, proving Amy truly is one of the greats and can tackle anything put in front of her.
A Beautiful River of Praise | Posted June-30-2014
Few and far between are worship bands that lead their audience into the presence of God quite like this one. Bellarive, translated to "beautiful river," is one of the most authentic and anointed groups in music today. Just a few moments into an album, or better yet a live show, and it's clear that this is a group of people dedicated to what they do and Who they do it for.
Bellarive, comprised of Sean Curran, Melissa Mage, Mike Mage, Zach Glotffelty, Josh Luker and Kenny Werner, desire to make music not just for the people in the church, but for anyone who will listen. The main goal of the group is to craft artistic worship music to sing straight to the heart of God.
So far, they've done just that extremely well. Their first album with Sparrow Records, The Heartbeat, released two years ago and proved to be a strong start for the Orlando natives. It held great moments of worship and gave them a push into the world of Christian music. A few tours and many summer camps later, the crew is back with their sophomore release, Before There Was.
Starting off with the energetic "Let There Be Light," Bellarive delivers the same lyrical depth and beauty we've previously heard and loved from them. A sincere prayer from the heart of people longing to be closer to the heart of the Father, the song requests "here in this moment / as Heaven and earth collide / break down the walls / open our eyes / let there be light."
Slowing down into a more worshipful tone, "Your Great Love" displays Melissa's elegant vocals and speaks of the extravagant love of Christ that has sealed us and made us His. Recently released "Calling On Fire" is a graceful prayer of seeking more of God: "we're calling on fire / God come set our hearts ablaze."
The first single and new music video from the album, "Lazarus," is a well-polished track that begins in an almost haunting mood. The song features beautiful acapella parts and powerfully sings the power of God to raise dead things back to life.
The album moves to a more electronic/pop feel in "Save Us," but quickly reverts back to worship with one of the most intimate pieces featured in this collection, "I Belong To You," which praises God for the deep way He knows us and keeps us. The band describes radio single "Bring Us Back" as a summer song, seemingly a perfect fit because of the upbeat pop sound.
My personal favorite moment found here is "Hallelujah, To Saving Grace," in which Sean and Melissa's vocals work together to sing of the amazing grace that causes our sin to be left in the grave. Another engaging time of worship, "From The Very Start," carries a graceful piano melody from start to finish and closes out the record on a note of praise for His continued faithfulness.
Closing Thoughts:
Before There Was is a huge step for Bellarive. The band managed to maintain the same core sound and lyrical methods found on their previous release, yet made it more mature. It's a sure sign they're growing as a group and further validates their status as one of the most underrated acts in Christian music. One of the most creative, anointed, and authentic worship bands in the business, it's obvious that Bellarive has big things ahead as they continue to lead their audiences into the presence of God beautifully in the way this album did. Before There Was is certainly the most exciting and promising worship album we've seen so far this year, and is sure to be categorized as one of the best of all time.
Starting Strong | Posted June-23-2014
Husband and wife duo We Are The Monks is living the dream: traveling the road, leading worship, making music, and doing the whole thing together. The Nashville-based couple says they want their relationship to be a light and to minister to others. With their newly released and acoustically driven self-titled album, Shellie and Trent Monk definitely accomplish that goal.
The album centers around relationships, both spiritual and physical. Opening with the catchy "Walking On The Water" and worshipful "My Help," the duo sings of following Jesus and trusting that He will provide for them in any circumstance. "Heavy Load" is an offer to bring all your worries and give them to Jesus, while "Rise" is a congregation-friendly call to worship.
Other songs on the album steer towards the topic of the family relationships in the Monks’ life. "Stronger" is about the people who encouraged and made them who they are now. "Here We Go" and "Slow Dance" are songs about the adventure they're on as husband and wife and their love for each other. Closing out the collection of songs is the touching ballad Trent wrote in anticipation of their son Oliver's birth, "These Arms."
Closing Thoughts:
We Are The Monks is a solid first album. Rarely do debuts sound as experienced and well put together as this one does, making it an enticing record from start to finish. The passionate vocals mixed together with the beautiful acoustic landscape prove Shellie and Trent to be a wonderful combo that suit each other well. The only fault to this album is that it's only a short eight tracks, leaving the listener wanting to hear more. We Are The Monks has a bright future ahead with lyrically powerful records like this one.
Electronic Encouragement | Posted June-23-2014
It's been three years since V. Rose first made a splash in the world of Christian music. This summer the California girl is back and better than ever. Forever After, Rose's latest effort, finds itself in a very pop/electric driven and lyrically encouraging direction. The 25-year-old has been making music since she was in her early teens and is now finally starting to attract the attention her ministry is due.
Starting off strong and catchy, "No Better You" serves as a pep-talk to listeners to believe in themselves and know that there is no one better to be than who they already are. "Am I Trending?" and "Forever Endeavor" center along the theme of the pressure to fit in and the reward of standing out and being who Christ calls you to be. "Nothing For Love" focuses on the power of love to reach out to those who feel unloveable, while "Worshipping Tonight" lyrically displays the importance of being in God's presence with a sound that makes you want to get up and dance.
On the softer side of the record, ":(" and "Tortured Mind" both show off Rose's incredible vocal range and personally deep lyrics. Finishing off with a bonus track, "Turn Up Your Light" encourages us to shine for Christ and to brightly lead people towards Him.
Closing Thoughts:
Forever After boasts some impressive collaborations, pairing up the vocal techniques of V. Rose with the rap stylings of artists like Flame, Shonlock, and da T.R.U.T.H. This collection of songs serves the purpose of encouraging its audience to be confident in who they are because of who He is. With music like this at such an early stage in her career, Rose is sure to see good things ahead.
Moving Into God's Goodness | Posted June-16-2014
Gospel group Darnell Davis & the Remnant is back with Moving Forward, a new compilation of worship songs. Davis has before been featured on BET.com's Listen Up, and is often compared to the vocal stylings of Kirk Franklin. The group is known for the diverse writing style in their songs and the different genres their music fits into.
The theme of this album seems to be the goodness of God and praising Him for the ways He works in our lives. Starting off on that note, "Change Your Situation" and "I Won't Give Up" are songs of encouragement to not give up in difficult circumstances because nothing is impossible with God. Title track "Moving Forward" is all about letting go of the past and knowing the best is up ahead.
"It Won't Work" and "We Got The Victory" are proclamations of the victory we have through Christ no matter what comes at us. While all of these are centered in praise, we find the more worshipful tracks in "Nothing," "Only You," "So In Love With You" and "You Are Great" which speak of God's greatness and all He is to us.
Closing Thoughts:
Moving Forward is a strong project from start to finish. These songs are all geared towards giving God praise and thanking Him for who He is. Gospel-toned, they are solid declarations of faith and what we believe as Christians. With topics such as victory in Christ, the greatness of our Savior, and simple worship, this album is a good listen and will leave you in an attitude of praise.
Unstoppable Worship | Posted June-16-2014
North Carolina church, Summit Worship, says their goal is to love God, love each other, and love the world. With this new group of songs in Our God Is Unstoppable, they portray those desires and bring to life the love they wish to show. Popular worship leader Matt Papa is featured on several songs, as well as other well-known leaders which gives the album variation.
Worship songs such as "No One," "All," "Your Blood Jesus" and "Behold" are praises to God for His goodness and sovereignty. Upbeat tracks like "Praise To The Lord The Almighty" and "All Creatures Of Our God and King" keep this record lively and fun, at the same time giving glory to the One who deserves it. The title track sings the lyrics "our joy is unspeakable / our hope is unshakable / our God is unstoppable" and proclaims that there is nothing He cannot do. "Create In Me" and "God Come" are beautiful prayers of surrender and longing to be near His presence.
Closing Thoughts:
Our God Is Unstoppable is a solid record. These songs are ones of praise, worship, and surrender that show the desire the church has to love God and make His name known. Summit's worship leaders do a great job of writing songs for the church and leading them into the presence of God. This church has good things in store, no doubt, and is surely following after the heart of the Father.
Promising Pop | Posted June-17-2014
Australian-raised Charmaine has a pretty impressive background. After coming from a very musical family, David Smallbone (father of Rebecca St. James and the for King & Country guys) found her and loved her ministry. She toured with Rebecca for a number of years before deciding to branch out on her own. Several projects into her career, she now presents us with a four song EP titled Love Somebody, a collection of excellent electronically driven pop tunes delivered by a versatile and powerful voice.
Charmaine puts her best foot forward on this EP starting with the standout title track, "Love Somebody." The lyrics tell of the truth that love is the key to break through anything. Simply loving someone is such a powerful thing, and Charmaine brings that to life with this song.
With strong vocals and a catchy beat, "All The Lights" speaks of God being the light that always guides us back to Him when we stray away. "Play The Song" shows off her wide vocal range in an upbeat and fun way. Finishing off solid, the fun and enjoyable "Empire" encourages us to build each other up in love instead of tearing down.
Closing Thoughts:
Short but sweet, this EP was certainly a good listen, and a great way to tide fans over while we wait for her forthcoming full-length album. The techno/pop feel from the songs was fun and is sure to keep listeners entertained. Complete with solid vocals, catchy melodies, and powerful lyrics, Love Somebody is hard to find fault with. Charmaine is off to a great start with her branching out and has a promising future ahead with music like this.
Hope On Display | Posted June-12-2014
With his sophomore album, Wisconsin native and American Idol Top 3 finalist Danny Gokey presents to us the power of hope, faith, love, and the necessity of these things in life. After losing his wife of four years unexpectedly before his Idol audition, Danny was forced to learn about hope in the midst of tragedy. In this new record, Hope In Front Of Me, he shares a peek into his personal life and some of the wisdom he found in his trials.
The title track, "Hope In Front of Me," begins the album with a declaration of his faith: "I might be down but I'm not dead / there's better days still up ahead / even after all I've seen / there's hope in front of me."
"One Life" speaks of the fragility of life and encourages us to make the most of our lives now because tomorrow isn't promised. A few sweet tunes like "Better Than Gold" and "Pretty Beautiful" express Danny's adoration for his current wife and the love they share, while "Love Will Take You Places" brings across the power of loving those around us.
The highlight of this album is found in the raw emotion and honesty of songs like "Tell Your Heart To Beat Again", "This Is What It Means" and "Because of You" that contrast the good and the pain of life in a beautifully moving way sure to leave you in tears.
Closing Thoughts:
Hope In Front Of Me is Gokey's most solid project to date. The lyrics were so well written and thought provoking. The record tackled hard subjects such as loss, tragedy, and pain and somehow managed to point it all back to the hope we have in God. The fact that these songs were birthed from such a personal place of sorrow makes it even more honest and appreciated. Topping it all off, Danny's strong and impressive vocals shine through on every track and make this album a very enjoyable listen.
Foundation Songs | Posted June-02-2014
What is there to say about Michael W. Smith? He's a GRAMMY and Dove award winner, has countless albums, and is known to multitudes of people around the world. He's been making music for over thirty years and his songs are still being sung in churches every week. The man seems to never lose his passion for music, and his fans seem to never lose their eagerness to hear what's next from Smitty.
That being said, Michael recently released an album made up entirely of traditional hymns, many of which he grew up singing. The album was sold exclusively at Cracker Barrel, and found itself at the top of the charts in the first week.
Well-known favorites like "The Old Rugged Cross," "How Great Thou Art," "My Jesus, I Love Thee" and "Near The Cross" make this record start off on a strong note. The acapella beginning to "Were You There?" shows off Smith's vocals and proves he's just as good as he ever was.
With the beautifully done "It Is Well" and "Wonderful, Merciful Savior," Smitty goes back to his roots of worship. Closing out the record, we find a Southern spin on "Victory In Jesus," and "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" that's sure to make you want to tap your feet and sing along.
Closing Thoughts:
Smith stayed true to the origin of these songs on this record. While I think it would have been fun to hear him put more of a spin on some of them, I respect that he wanted to honor the traditional background. Hymns was solid and only goes to further show that Michael W. Smith just can't make a bad album. Fans of Smitty are sure to enjoy these songs, as we're already seeing by the feedback. Michael can now add a hymns album to his collection, and a good one at that!
Song To Download Now:
"What A Friend We Have In Jesus" (Get it on iTunes here.)
Enticing First Taste | Posted June-02-2014
EPs are hard to tackle, requiring an artist to fit everything they have to say into such a small space while trying to catch the attention of the listening audience. However hard the task, Jon Guerra did it, and did it well. Glass, his latest release, is centered around giving God the glory He deserves and quickly leads us into an attitude of worship.
Starting off with a catchy beat, "I Will Follow" speaks of following Jesus wherever He leads. Whether good or bad circumstances, Jon challenges us to hold onto God with all we are and continue to follow Him. "Stained Glass," the standout track on the EP, begins with a beautiful piano melody and encourages us to take all the baggage we carry with us to God and let Him make us new. "We're stained, it's true / but when Your light shines through / we all look like stained glass windows to You."
"Wherever You Are" is a timely reminder that no matter where we go or what we're facing, God has been there and He won't leave us. The greatest moment of worship comes through in "Enough For Me," a song that comes straight from the heart. Guerra is transparent in these lyrics by proclaiming that he doesn't know what's going on, but he knows he has God's love and that's enough for him.
Coming to a close with an acoustic version of "I Will Follow," this EP is hard to find fault with and leaves us wanting to hear more.
Closing Thoughts:
Glass went above and beyond my expectations. Honest lyrics, solid vocals, and beautiful instrumentation make any record a success, and this one proved to be no different. These songs carried through the theme of worship incredibly well, making it nearly impossible to find a bad track in the mix. Jon Guerra did an outstanding job, and he is sure to be getting some positive feedback from this project.
CaitlinLassiter_NRT's Music and Book Reviews 
