Holy Mystery (Single)
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Conley Worship Conley Worship is the collective formed by Maryland-based worship leader David Conley. The Liberty University graduate just released "Holy Mystery" as the firstfruits of the upcoming album, Are...
New Life x New Vibe (Single)
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Red Letter Hymnal Red Letter Hymnal got its start doing Christian Dubstep/EDM covers of worship songs, garnering more than a million views each on videos for "One Thing Remains" and "God's Not Dead."...
Me Against the World: Vol. 2
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5ive Rapper 5ive, also known as Craig James, has a pretty incredible, radical conversion story of how Jesus met him in a huge way and instantly ended his addictions. Since then, he's been sold-out to God,...
A Powerful Lyrical Engine | Posted October-15-2015
One of the great complaints I've heard about modern worship songs is that the lyrics don't hold a candle to the profound, poetic word pictures of the great hymn writers. Rather than telling us about Jesus, they showed us about Him through metaphors and flowery prose. In an age of relativism, it's completely understandable that worship music has become much more overt, much more pointed in its lyrical content. Still, the art of worship is something that has been lacking in Christendom as a whole.
That's why it really stands out when a worship movement takes strides in the more artful direction. And that's why The Church of Eleven22's third full-length offering, Before All Things, is a project you need to check out.
Born out of the worship ministry of Jacksonville, Florida's Church of Eleven22, Before All Things is a meditative, contemplative journey into the heart of God, and into our own hearts as well.
As is the style nowadays, Before All Things features a good blend of live guitars and drums with keyboards and various electronic elements.
Rather than take you through a tour of each song musically, you should know this: Each song is well produced, and features lots of 1980s sounding synths and noises that create an ethereal atmosphere throughout. Even the more upbeat songs on the album, such as "I'm Not Alone", "In You" and "Kingdom Come" carry that contemplative, reverent vibe.
Vocally, the various worship leaders featured throughout provide strong performances, and each offers a sound that's not exactly the "classic worship leader" vocals you've come to expect on most church-based worship albums. That said, one of the singers sounds like a mix between Brian Johnson of Bethel Music and Delirious's Martin Smith. And I'm not sure if it's the musical landscape or what, but the singer on "In You" could easily fill in for Hillsong UNITED's Matt Crocker.
There are some moments where Eleven22 shines on creating some modern-day hymns, such as "God Above" and album closer "What Grace Did for Me"--and many of the other songs have hymn-like choruses and structures. "God Above" in particular sounds strikingly similar at times to Hillsong's "Cornerstone," but for all the right reasons,
When evaluating a worship album, something that has to be taken into account is how universal these songs are--rather, how singable they are for Sunday mornings and how replicable they are in other church settings. Eleven22 is hit and miss in this aspect, with some phrasing feeling clunky and not instinctive. With a little refining, though, there are some powerhouse anthems for the church just waiting to be unleashed.
And the engine of those powerhouse songs is its lyrical diversity and poignancy. It would take too long to chronicle all of the profound phrases penned on this record, but I'll share a few. On "I'm Not Alone," Madaline Hill and Jonathan Berlin took a different take on the love of God: "Your love is stronger than diamonds and steel." On "What Grace Did For Me," we hear: "I fall apart, You pick me up / I pour out my heart, You fill my cup / I lose my mind, You put it as ease / I lock myself up, You set me free."
The congregational, ethereal "Kingdom Come" declares: "We will see the chance to break away / The chance to make a change from what we all have been / A rushing wave, the levy starts to break / To wash it all away, to lead us back to You."
Perhaps my favorite line is from "Locked Up Death," which reads: "Where can I run to escape a love that conquered the grave? / My soul no longer to hide / When You made a thief Your bride." In "Where The Spirit of the Lord Is," you typically expect that phrase to end with "there is freedom," but instead the songwriters talk expound upon what that freedom looks like: "I fear no pain / I fear no hurting"... "I fear no blame / I fear no suffering."
Closing Thoughts:
The Church of Eleven22 certainly deserves some more attention and credibility as a worship movement from Before All Things. The production value, vocal prowess and, most of all, lyrical depth set it apart in a crowded and growing crop of church-based worship albums. To take the next step, the songwriters have to smooth over some of the phrase clunkiness, allowing their songs to be received by countless churches on Sunday morning.
Broken Temples to the Max | Posted September-17-2015
If you've tried to pin Kevin Max down to a particular musical style, chances are, you've come up frustrated and short--that is, if you've familiarized yourself with the quintessential singer's discography post-dcTalk.
He's experimented with various flavors in pop, progressive rock, new age, nu wave, spoken word and a number of others musical ventures that surpass classification.
So it was probably a surprise to lots of Max-watchers that "The Singer" found himself back in the mainstream CCM circuit as frontman of Audio Adrenaline. That experiment--while widely successful and a fantastic return for Kevin Max on many levels that go beyond just music--ultimately didn't last, and the artist's unbridled creativity pressed forward.
Enter 2015's Broken Temples, an album driven by Max's Christian pop revival that featured some songs that would've had a home on a new Audio record. The seven new songs (and three remixes) collected therein made Max's voice once again accessible to the masses, with incredible songs such as "You Light Me Up" and "White Horse."
Now with Max's Deluxe Edition of the record, we're treated to four additional Broken Temples songs that didn't make the first cut of the record (with the exception of a demo version of "That Was Then And This is Now"). Carrying more of the Kevin Max vibe to which we've become accustomed in the past decade, the new songs herald the return of... the return of the singer.
"Memoria" carries a piano-driven, Brit-pop, Beatlesesque feel to it with a bit of psychedelia tossed in for good measure, complete with marching band snare drums reminiscent of Sgt. Pepper's. While the song seems to fit in with Max's career, it already sets a different tone from the other Broken Temples songs, carrying less-overt but more poetic lyrics in addition to the musical shift. The tune seems to be about moving on to Heaven from this broken world: "And I need you right beside me, as we take a path less likely / To the rest / Away from all this mess."
Gears change again with "Lay Down Your Weapons My Friend," a song about reconciliation fueled by Nashville-inspired blues-rock riffs, random female background vocalists and B3 organ. These lyrics are more overtly written about the process of forgiveness and reconciliation. He urges the subject of the song to "surrender in Jesus' name" while confessing: "I'm not here to judge you, I am just man / A man who's letting go of all his ugly sins / I found salvation with the freedom of giving in / So lay down your weapons my friend."
Kevin Max says "Freak Flag" is like a 1990s youth group anthem that got lost for 25 years. While it's not an old song, the comparison is dead-on, as the tune pointedly captures the in-your-face, unashamed and overly overt lyrical battle cries of the golden age of Christian alternative music.
Pivoting off the message of his former band's mega-hit "Jesus Freak," this song is a call to "let your freak flag fly so high." It's a catchy appropriation of a term previously used for people who are unabashedly weird and/or deviant in their lifestyle.
Instead, with a tune that would've been at home on a previous dcTalk record--or even more fittingly, a Mark Stuart-era Audio Adrenaline record--Max talks about needing to share "a message that is trapped in my chest" and "like a prophet or a preacher or an activist, I can't keep it quiet."
In the second verse, he switches focus from himself to others, taking notice of young people processing life together apart from God. He randomly and surprisingly throws in a jab at Scientology, saying the "wake up call" to figuring out life is "the Holy Word of God, not Hubbard's Dianetic flaws."
"Freak Flag" borrows a lot from its predecessor "Jesus Freak," including the line "We don't care what people think," but it's totally acceptable given the understanding that this is intended to be a sequel of sorts to that song. Christian music fans will either love or hate this song due to its '90s-era feel, but regardless, Max captures the vibe successfully. I like it, if not for pure nostalgic value.
The highlight track of the Deluxe Edition is "Desperate Heart." Pulsating synths immediately move us on to Kevin Max's favorite decade: the 1980s. In this tune, which craves for Jesus' love as "the cure" for what ails his soul, Max strikes a near-perfect balance of pop accessibility, lyrics that are both poetic and approachable, and musical atmosphere.
The autobiographical tune laments Max's "weakness living here inside my bones" and a "tangled mess... like a spider web of dead-end streets," ultimately leading to a prayer in the bridge that asks God to "come draw the poison from this well." The chorus repeats the phrase "It's the cure!" which will undoubtedly get stuck in your head. Production value and instrumentation is top notch on this track.
Closing Thoughts:
It's understandable why these four songs didn't make the original cut of Broken Temples thematically, musically and lyrically. But we're glad Kevin Max decided to unveil this Deluxe Edition, because the addition of these tracks gives fans of The Singer some clues as to where he's headed next--or does it? The enigmatic Max rarely sticks to a script.
With the exception of the demo version of "That Was Then..." all four songs show us a different facet of Max, and while the artist himself said that he's probably not coming back to the Christian pop style we've heard on Broken Temples and during his Audio Adrenaline days, we can hope that he'll find a happy medium, as in the case of "Desperate Heart," in the road ahead. In the meantime, we'll enjoy these four extra songs as a fantastic bonus to an already good album.
'Best Of' A Little Too Early? | Posted September-02-2015
You've heard of Northwest Collective; you probably just didn't know it right away. The fast truth is that BEC Recordings' Rejoice: Live from Seattle project was a gathering of Mars Hill Music's incredible, indie-friendly worship musicians. Although Mars Hill is no more, the bands formed there continue to rise and make good music for the church.
Rejoice is a live, "best of" compilation of sorts that features the vocals of Dustin Kensrue (Thrice, The Modern Post), Cam Huxford (Ghost Ship), Hannah Garvey and Brian Eichelberger. It features songs from the aforementioned bands, plus flagship group Citizens & Saints.
Dustin Kensrue kicks things off with his uptempo and reverent song that serves as the namesake for the album, "Rejoice." With crowd vocals clearly involved in the mix and instruments downplayed a bit, the song sets the tone as a more intimate worship gathering, rather than the stadium-style recordings we're used to hearing. Whether it's the arrangement or the mixing, this song lacks a lot of the punch that Kensrue's studio version of the song carried.
Kensrue also sings on "Grace Alone," a song he previously recorded as part of his new worship band The Modern Post. Kensrue's voice is softer and more tender on this version of the song, which declares God's prevailing, saving love. He also provides the album highlight with the track "Oh God." It strikes the right balance between musical prowess, lead vocal power, and congregational participation. Garvey's harmony vocals complement it well, too, and hearing the crowd passionately shouting out, "Oh God, you never leave my side," elicits goosebumps.
Singer Hannah Garvey has an accessible worship leader voice--probably the most mainstream sounding voice of the bunch--and her style takes the indie rock edge off the several songs and makes them seem a little more like a regular Sunday morning at any number of evangelical churches. She sings songs typically fronted by males, changing up the vibe even more. She covers Citizens & Saints' "Jesus!", Kensrue's "Rock of Ages" and, best of the three, Citizens & Saints' "Made Alive."
With her version of "Made Alive," Garvey reimagines the song that introduced the world to Citizens & Saints, providing a folksier vibe. The song's trademark pinging riff is missing, but instead we hear lots of singing, B3 organ, and energetic handclaps.
A band called Solid Rock sang, appropriately, a rendition of the old hymn "The Solid Rock." It's driving yet simple, artful yet accessible. There's a great piano and bass interlude between sections, and the male and female voices play off each other well. I hope to hear more from this Solid Rock group in the future.
The Sing Team's Brian Eichelberger emerges on another Citizens & Saints song, "In Tenderness." It's a slowed down, more subdued interpretation of the song that features a lone electric guitar strumming as steadily crescendoing crowd voices present a choir to Brian's passionate, if not melancholy lead vocals. Whereas the original song was celebratory in nature, this one is more humbled and repentant sounding. It's a creative, simplistic take on the tune. He also provides a solid performance of "Oh! Great is Our God."
Cam Huxley provides something as close to the recording as we've seen yet as he performed his band Ghost Ship's "Mediator." The four-on the floor hit, provides a much needed jolt of energy after the more melancholy section. Huxley's worship style involves lots of encouragement, shouts of exortation, and firm nudges. He brings the powerful album closer, "Christ is Risen," which brings about the powerful declaration that "Jesus Christ rose again from the grave!" and that "Christ is risen and my soul knows sweet salvation!"
Closing Thoughts:
While Rejoice: Live from Seattle features talented musicians, singers and songwriters, I'm not entirely sure this album needed to be made yet. And with the felt absence of Citizens & Saints, it wasn't exactly a "best of" from the former Mars Hill bands. At times the mix felt awkward, with overpowering bass plucks and inconsistent crowd vocals.
There indeed were some good moments on the record, but it was almost as if we were listening to the audio feed from a live church service. That's not bad, but not quite up to the level we're expecting, especially after the bands involved have released such well produced studio projects.
Three Big Themes, One Big Record | Posted July-17-2015
A lot has happened since The Neverclaim started writing for their second large-scale, full-length album, The Joy. They relocated from the Portland, Oregon area to Nashville. They said goodbye to one drummer (who went to be a missionary in India) and welcomed a new one (of Indian descent, actually).
They also said farewell to Provident Label Group to return to their independent, grassroots... um… roots. But another change in The Neverclaim has been their step away from their musical roots. The Southern rock/tenor Mac Powell/four-on-the-floor/banjo-tinged sound they’d developed over time has made way for more of a straight-up pop vibe--an intentional move to musically communicate the joyful themes of this new, crowd-funded record.
There are three big themes in The Joy. One is, the theme of God is reaching out to you; come to him! Another is, despite what’s happening in and around you, Jesus’ victory has sealed the deal. And the last theme has to deal with rallying the Church to share what’s been given to them. You see it repeated throughout the 10 tracks of The Joy, all with passionate and musically excellent flair.
THEME ONE: “God is reaching out to you”
This is immediately introduced in title track and album opener, “The Joy,” which deploys a dirty ‘80s-style rock riff reminiscent of John Cougar Mellencamp. It’s singing out a refrain of acceptance, welcoming people to a “love that never ends / where the grace of God moves again and again.” There’s a fun bridge that gets everyone singing, “The joy of the Lord is my strength”--perfect for large corporate worship times.
The message of “Everything” is that regardless of how “big” or “small” your concerns are in life, Jesus cares about it all. He just wants you to bring Him “everything.” Piano and a hip-hop beat carry this OneRepublic-style number.
“Perfect God” beautifully mixes subtle electronic elements with a straight-up Christian rock edge, as lead singer Jeremiah Carlson--no longer deploying Southern twang in his vocals--implores us to “hear the song of Heaven call us home to the only Holy (holy, holy), perfect God.” A particularly poignant prayer implores God to, “Strip away a thousand lesser loves.”
THEME TWO: “Jesus’ victory has sealed the deal”
The second theme involves lots of declaring the beautiful supremacy of Jesus. “Dance With God” features more of those electronic elements that we hadn’t previously seen from The Neverclaim. The song is about recognizing the ultimate good news of Jesus Christ in the midst of life’s troubles, that we’re able to dance with God. It’s a great party song both for Sunday mornings and youth group events.
“More than conquerors, we cannot be defeated,” rings the triumphant “Through Christ.” It’s the slowest jam on the record (but still midtempo), and it shows off a soothing lower register in Carlson’s voice. God’s majesty and dominion are praised in “Rules and Reigns.”
In a record of standout tracks, the standout track among them is “Our God Wins.” There’s the great blend of the analog and digital. Big, arena drums. Synths and strings vibing in the background. But most of all, it’s a powerful reminder for the Church: “Even the enemy knows how the story ends: Our God wins.” It’s a song of triumph in the now and not yet. “We believe in Jesus, we receive His power to overcome all things.”
THEME THREE: “Share what you’ve been given”
As “a self-centered world keeps closing in”... “we were meant to spread this Joy inside, because of God can bring new life.” God has sought us out, and His victory is complete and sure, so now our purpose and response is defined. That’s the third theme, and it’s laid out in the explosive rallying cry, “Go.”
But we don’t “Go” alone. The song “Rise Up” is a call to unity--the most straight-up rock song the band has on this record. The upbeat alternative number says that “if we’re gonna rise, we’ve got to rise as one!”
Aimed right at the guys out there, “Mighty Men of God” provides clarity and calling for men at a time when the roles of fathers, husbands and men in general are confused and embattled. The song is one of commitment that will be the centerpiece of many a men’s event to come. “Have courage, He has called you. Let your heart be unafraid,” encourages this song. Perfect for radio, this tune lets us know that at the end of the day, we men have a very specific and special calling in our various spheres of influence.
Closing Thoughts:
There’s no doubt The Joy is The Neverclaim’s strongest release to date. While not oblivious to life’s struggles, the songs declare Jesus’ supremacy over challenges through personal appeals to each of us. The content is solid, and musically, it covers some new ground for the band. It’s also devoid of slow songs, which is rare this day in age, but really pushes the power and emphasis of the positive message.
The vast majority of these songs deserve to have radio play, and we hope stations don’t sleep on The Joy. It’d be to their detriment.
An Open Letter to UNITED | Posted May-26-2015
Dearest Hillsong UNITED,
I thought I'd write this review of your latest album, Empires, as a letter, seeing as I feel like I know you personally. I'm not talking about having met Joel, Taya and J.D. over the years, but the fact that the entity that is UNITED and I go way back.
I remember hearing King of Majesty and Best Friend in my college dorm room and being completely blown away that worship music could sound exciting and fun and make you want to turn it up and pogo up and down like all the Aussie kids I saw in their videos. Together, More than Life and United We Stand provided some big moments for our youth when I was leading high school worship. All the Above was a watershed moment for us, and for the Church with Brooke Fraser's incredible songs "Lead Me to the Cross" and "Hosanna"--and I still crank "Solution" as a call-to-action motivator. Across the the Earth: Tear Down the Walls was therapeutic, as was the artistically progressive Aftermath.
With each album, UNITED, you grew and matured as a band/worship team/whatever you guys are, and with each album came this adoption period for me where I had to get used to whatever new schemes you'd cooked up and then I'd be all-in. I just had to see where you were going, and by extension, where the Church was going. I saw it in the early years with the rock sounds, in the middle with the social justice anthems, and more recently with the more introspective music.
And then, with Zion, came the shift to a more indie-electronic sound, which made the adoption period a bit longer, I must admit. But I, like everyone else, loved "Oceans" as well as "Scandal of Grace" and "Relentless." Seeing the Welcome Zion Tour definitely breathed additional life into these songs for me, too.
Now we find ourselves at a crossroads, don't we, UNITED? Where do we go from here? Well, upon listening to Empires, I can say this: You're sticking with the indie-electronic thing, mostly. In some places, you've taken a step back towards some more traditional-sounding instruments. I do love hearing real pianos and strumming guitars.
Having really enjoyed the Zion Acoustic album, it was great to hear some no-kidding acoustic guitars strumming on "Prince of Peace" and "When I Lost My Heart to You (Hallelujah)"--two songs that feature your unofficial frontman, Joel Houston, who showed on the three songs he sings that he's evolved into more of a whisper-singing style.
Lyrically, you're probably at your best--ever. Check out this beautiful line from "Here Now (Madness)," the opener: "Faith makes a fool of what makes sense / But grace found my heart where logic ends." I love how "Heart Like Heaven" makes this declaration: "And I'll throw my weakness into Your greatness / If this broken heart is all You want." And there are deep phrases galore that pop up, like "wrapped up in scarlet kindness," as we see in "Street Called Mercy."
Really, you're at the top of your game here. And yes, I know some people might not like the fact that you say, "Even when it hurts like hell, I'll praise You" on "Even When It Hurts (Praise Song)," but I think the world is tough enough out there that people will realize it's not just a ploy to be edgy, but a real commitment made through gritted teeth.
So lyrics aside, I'm struggling. And if the pattern holds from other releases, I may very well be in the longest adoption period yet of our relationship, UNITED. But still, I'm trying to come to terms with the duality of what's happening here. On the one hand, you're making art. Contemplative, meditative art even. You set out to make the most honest art of your tenure. But does that mean your mission has changed a little bit? Because while you've made a definite work of art, on the other hand, as a worship leader, I'm struggling to find a lot that the everychurch can sing along to, much less replicate.
There's an interesting pattern on a number of the songs here. They begin with verses and a chorus that's super ethereal sounding and meditative, and frankly, not super congregational. But then they eventually burst into a huge, focused, glorious bridge or second chorus that is beautiful and quite congregational. So I'm left feeling like I went to the dance with a date who didn't pay any attention to me until the last song, when it turned out she was a really nice girl after all. "Street Called Mercy", "Closer Than You Know" and "When I Lost My Heart to You (Hallelujah)" all fit the bill there.
That's not to say there aren't some standalone gems of congregational potential. If churches can get past the whole "hurts like hell" thing, "Even When It Hurts (Praise Song)" is a powerful declaration that hits a great balance between the synthetic and analog instruments. It's my favorite song on the album, to be sure. (Download it now on iTunes here.)
Title track "Empires" is triumphant: "The wait is over / The King is here / His name is Jesus." It takes a little imagination to translate this Jad Gillies-led song to the regular church worship setting, but it's doable. And it's tremendously worshipful. Another Gillies-led tune, "Heart Like Heaven," has the big feeling of commitment and surrender that is so key at times in the church. It's worshipful and puts the focus on the heart that's big enough to heal ours. It's a song that certainly gives a nod to the golden age of Marty Sampson balladry.
I have to say, I was so excited to hear "Rule," which I believe was led by Matt Crocker--one of your longtime leaders. I loved it because it hearkened back to the old days when high school and college kids were bouncing at Hills Campus like kangaroos to "One Way Jesus" and "Break Free." That song has great remix potential, too.
It's really wonderful that you've finally found your rock-solid mainstay female vocalist in Taya Smith, as it's a role that's been missing since Brooke Fraser stepped aside to continue that exceptional solo career of hers. Taya of course will now be known as the voice of "Oceans" forever, but I know that's just the beginning, as this album shows. She's featured on a third of the songs, and they're all really strong. From the already chart-topping lead single "Touch the Sky" to the aforementioned "Even When It Hurts" to the overt and faithful "Say the Word," Taya either was handed the most congregational songs, or she has a knack for congealing the ethereal.
I will say, Taya's song "Captain" seems like a thematic sequel to "Oceans." Not that it's a bad thing. Check out these lyrics: "Through waters uncharted my soul will embark / I'll follow Your voice straight into the dark / And if from the course You intend I / Speak to the sails of my wandering heart."
Coming to the end of Empires, I definitely felt awkward. I didn't doubt the art or the hearts of the artists making it. I didn't dislike what I heard stylistically or lyrically. I felt as if you're going through the same kind of early-adulthood questions and searching and transition as your main audience of people in their late 20s and early 30s. Things change. Our roles change. Our callings don't, but the manifestations of said callings must.
Your little brother, Hillsong Young & Free, is getting the kids to pogo like you used to. And your mama, Hillsong LIVE, is of course going to focus on the congregational, more singable fare. So where does that leave you, UNITED? I guess we're finding that out together. I think that role exists somewhere in creating contemplative art that points us to Jesus. That's not terribly different from writing compelling worship music, but it is a little different.
I--like countless others who will buy this record--am with you. We're already invested. We may not 100 percent understand what you're doing or why you're doing it, but we're in. We realize that over the years you've tapped into something important regarding the heart of God for our generation in this time, and it's up to us to figure out what about these sounds, about these moods and lyrics and choruses, that speaks to a focus we all need to have.
Will I at times miss the days of the uptempo rock songs and the mega-hit Sunday morning staples? Absolutely. But there's something curiously compelling about you, UNITED, in that you don't exist to make radio hits or even church hits, but exactly what you believe God wants you to make. And that being the case, mission accomplished.
Tomorrow We Live, Today We Shine | Posted April-28-2015
Trip Lee and Tedashii have made some major comebacks as of late, with the latter just having come off the massive Rock & Worship Roadshow tour. Andy Mineo has been making appearances on Sway in the Morning and saw his latest project hit No. 1 on the rap charts. Lecrae just won a GRAMMY (and had a couple other nominations too), had a No. 1 record and appeared on a number of national television shows.
So how in the world does KB make some noise among an already noisy Reach Records roster? By doing what he does best--thoughtful, powerful wordplay.
In his sophomore full-length album and follow-up to last year's 100 EP, at the artist legally known as Kevin Burgess took a comprehensive look at the human experience and the ultimate hope that spurs us on with Tomorrow We Live. In an interview with NRT, KB said the record takes listeners through a "collection of moments" in a 24-hour period.
The result is a profound mix of musical excellence, brilliant wordplay and spiritual gravitas that stands up to the best projects contemporary hip-hop has to offer.
While many rappers love to flaunt their money and expensive trappings, KB flaunts the riches of the Kingdom of God in "Rich Forever": "Let that money fall / But when it's all said and done / We'll still be countin' / We rollin' in it."
He further clarifies: "Be rich in good works cause that's what you bring home / In the face of heaven's gates." This mid-tempo song reflects on how God has brought him from having an "empty fridge apartment with no power in it" to being able to provide for his family, but notes it's not his focus: "Your money's too cheap to fund my joy."
Fans will recognize the song, as it's mostly taking pieces from the tune "Silver and Gold," which KB released via SoundCloud in August 2014.
The father of a one-year-old son now, KB says the experience of becoming a parent has fundamentally changed everything about him as a person. He includes the experience of being a family man with the songs "Fall In Love With You" (dedicated to his baby) and "Always & Forever," a song of fidelity and love for his wife. The interlude track "9 A.M." is a tender moment of KB walking in the door of his home to greet his wife and baby.
"Fall In Love With You" is the most lighthearted KB track to date, with a gentle ukulele providing most of the background to the bubbly, gentle pop ode to falling in love with his son. "Always & Forever" gives more than a nod to 1970s funk love songs (but with a Christian marriage covenant in the forefront), and would be quite the fitting group dance number at a wedding reception. (Word has it that KB wrote the tune picturing being at a wedding reception, so there you go.) The bass grooves from Kendrick Lamar's bassist, along with the disco strings, provides a nice musical diversion (as did "Fall In Love With You").
Perhaps the most surprising part of that song is that KB does no rapping at all on it. He's... singing? Indeed, KB has been taking voice lessons and has been building his vocal chops, and it's clear he's got some pipes (also showcased on the bonus song, "Find Your Way.")
KB definitely tackles the challenges of life on earth, too, from dealing with scrutiny from inside and outside the church ("Sideways") to sobering thoughts about death and dying ("Cruising"), to the struggle between succeeding and serving ("Crowns & Thorns"), to women's unhealthy views of themselves (bonus track "Find Your Way") and the internal struggles of depression and sin ("Drowning"). The song "Sideways" in particular is a standout, not just because Lecrae features on it (and originally intended it as part of his Anomaly project), but because it encapsulates the unique place followers of Christ can find themselves not fitting in with the hyper-religious and the anti-religious.
One of the standout tracks for sure is also the heaviest. "Calling You" is a dramatic telling of KB's friend--an Iraq war veteran--struggling with taking his life. The track starts off fairly quiet in its introduction, before exploding into aggressive verse, much like the way you'd expect a crisis like this to emerge: suddenly.
Playing out like a thriller, KB tries to speak life to his friend who wants to die after coming back from war, losing his family and everything that meant something to him. Taking place at 3 a.m., the track is a gripping dialogue between KB and his friend. There's a reference to Kanye West in the song, referring to the lifestyle he promotes and the comfort to which he points people: "But you been looking to the weed and them dancers / Don't be conned by the Ye / Nobody in the West got the answers."
Probably the most heartbreaking part of this song is that it's based on a true story--one that didn't end the same way as the song. KB's real friend actually took his life. It makes his plea all the more poignant: "Jason, I love you, but the next step is God, homie / You ain't escaping a thing / You know Jesus wanted to die in that garden / Acquainted to man and his sorrows / But he kept up the fight / Cause he knew joy, it was coming tomorrow." His friend, tragically, didn't get to that part of the story.
Despite life's challenges, though, the album's called Tomorrow We Live, and there's a thread of hope woven throughout. Probably the biggest declaration of that is in the tribal-sounding uptempo banger "I Believe" featuring Mattie from hardcore band For Today. That tune uses a screaming sports chant--"I... I believe... I believe that we will win!"--as the main hook of the tune. It's a declaration that today's struggles pale in comparison to the present and future hope we have: "The dream works no matter how bad the pics are / Cause I see how bad the globe is / But they don't know how mad our hope is / They don't know how bad we want this / It ain't where we at boy, it's where we're going!"
"I Believe" also has a legit theological treatise on suffering inserted into a verse: "As struggles do multiple valuable things that are wonderful / We suffer though, hustle through all the things / He wants to humble you / Humble you, take you and break you and make you into another dude." The title phrase finds a place in this rallying cry: "Take away any other truth / He's the One that can comfort you / Wait on it; tomorrow we live!"
That confidence drives us to accomplish great and eternal things in life. "The only type of life in this life that is really worth livin' is the life that will go and take risks," declares KB in "Ima Just Do It," a song that is all about doing the right thing at the right time without fear. KB takes aim at the fellas out there who date their girl for six years without putting a ring on her, asking, "You livin' by faith or are you livin' by your fear though?" One of the best uptempo songs in the bunch, it puts a happy face on the underlying message, which is, "Get off your rear and do something with your life."
A cameo by KB's buddy, professional golfer Bubba Watson is an unexpected but fun addition to the song, which features the most hilarious line on the whole record: "Not a gangsta rapper, but my caddie got a nine."
The best song on the entire project has to be "Lights Go Out" featuring Blanca and Justin Ebach. Beach's piercing, Adam Levine-like voice opens the track, and the immediate thought is, "Who IS this guy?" He's a songwriter, content to be in the background, apparently, but KB--not one to care about names or titles--insisted he sing the hook.
Lyrically and thematically, the song is all about KB singing to someone named CeCe, which, from a Christian perspective, you can quickly figure out is the Christian Church or Christ's Church. He said he'd die for CeCe, and all he does is for CeCe: "Every line on my EP from the mixtape, singles to CDs / Pray to God she'd see me making sure that she's eating."
The head-banging jam declares love and allegiance to CeCe, despite being brutally attacked by her: "Hurt me more than my enemies ever could, but I take it / Leave you? No never, I never would." Throughout there's a beautiful personification of the Church, from her beauty, to her flaws, to her self-hatred and checkered past... through it all, "When the lights go out, it's gonna be me and you." Blanca gradually finds her way into the song, providing natural crescendo with her dramatic vocals.
Closing Thoughts:
KB's Tomorrow We Live is best enjoyed with the lyrics right in front of you, if you're like I am and can't necessarily pick them out from one cursory listen. It's a bit mind boggling how much meaning and clever wordplay KB packs into each of his rhymes (he even hints in one of the songs that most people won't pick up on it). The recording is top notch with Dirty Rice and Joseph Prielozny handling the bulk of production duties.
But bigger than that is the soundtrack of real, struggling humans trying to live in this broken world, and trying to do so with the help of Jesus. From the big numbers of declaration and celebration to the rock bottom moments of struggle and loss, KB is at the top of his game in meeting people where they're at and calling them to the great hope he has. And he does that by unveiling some new tricks, particularly his newfound singing ability.
This is sure to be one of the strongest releases in Christian hip-hop this year, and my only hope is that it doesn't get lost among the bigger names in the industry (or even in KB's own record label), because this is deep, introspective, challenging material here.
Some of the Best Lines:
"Derek Jeter, boy, we cool being Number 2."
"No biggie to me that you could do it B-I-G / 'Til you and God align like a DMV"
"They wanna see your boy Kevin wear (down)" (Kevin Ware reference)
"Reading James, can't let my heart harden, boy." (James Harden reference)
"Jacked for every nickel, son." (Jack Nicholson reference)
"Spend your life trying to be a 'ten' / When that ten ain't worth a dime."
"Not a gansta rapper / But my caddie's got a nine."
Songs for Sunday and the Other Six Days | Posted April-10-2015
Listeners first were treated to Derek Johnson as part of Jesus Culture's 2012 Emerging Voices record, which featured him alongside three other up-and-coming worship leaders. Johnson's songs, however, were standouts on the compilation, especially his soulful song of dedication, "I Belong to You."
Fast forward three years and Jesus Culture Music has given Johnson his own full-length album, Real Love. The record showcases an artist who brings subtle, yet distinct and powerful lyrics that take on very different purposes.
Upon listening to this record, it's clear Johnson toes the line between congregational worship songs and Christian pop/rock with overtly worshipful lyrics. It's almost as if Real Love is two albums in one, with songs in the two categories tied together by Johnson's raspy vibrato-laden voice.
Johnson brings some uptempo worship songs to the Church, such as the urgent-sounding, driving, guitar-propelled album opener "Our Salvation," which delivers the simple message of worshipping God for who He is and what He's done.
Songs like "Jesus I See You" and closing track "Glory Come Down" are passionate, crescendoing and momentous songs of contemplative praise. Title track "Real Love" is one of those congregational gems that takes the Church on a lyrical tour of all the ways God loves us, from healings, signs and wonders, shows of His power, provision of our freedom, and His involvement in our lives. All three tracks are rock ballad that would find a home on an Elevation Worship record (probably because Johnson's voice is somewhat similar to Elevation worship leader Chris Brown), the song has definite Sunday morning potential.
"I Belong to You," the song from the Emerging Voices record, gets a fresh recording that features a more driving beat and some excellent atmospheric guitar riffs thrown in. The song, a staple in my own church for more than a year, sounds even better this time around. It definitely should be a radio single, and is the standout worship track on this record, too.
Much like those of fellow Jesus Culture Music artist Andrew Ehrenzeller, many of Johnson's tracks are songs of worship that aren't exactly tooled for Sunday morning use when it comes to its melodic composition. Is that a bad thing? Certainly not. These songs become enjoyable, memorable pop/rock songs that harken back to Christian music's heyday of overt, praise-filled lyrics.
Perhaps the strongest cut on the record is "Heaven Meeting Earth," a track that bows to a 1980s sound with piercing keyboard sounds and a heavy, cinematic use of toms on the drum kit. Lyrically, the declaration "Let there be no end to heaven meeting earth" is a great one that beckons for a lifestyle of encounter, not just chance meetings with God.
The rest of the songs are solid offerings that are worthy car-driving, Bible-reading or meditating accompaniment. Songs like the reflective retelling of Jesus' sacrifice, "Power in the Cross," the declarative "Bright As You" and the uptempo "My Great Love" teeter on the edge of being congregational, but ultimately are authentic, personal musical creations that stand on their own, even if it's outside of the Sunday morning worship set.
Closing Thoughts:
Real Love is a solid offering by a fantastic vocalist and worshipper in Johnson. And this record, like Ehrenzeller's before it, sends a clear message that while Jesus Culture is definitely into providing songs for the Church, it's also quite satisfied providing worshipful pop/rock songs that will fill the other six days of the week.
Johnson excels at creating for both environments, even though some listeners looking for one or the other may not fully embrace the excellent dichotomy Real Love offers. When Johnson writes for the Church, he does it quite well, and when he writes in the pop/rock context, he has some flashes of brilliance.
I'd like to see Johnson try his hand at a full-length album of JUST congregational worship records, because what he's done so far with "I Belong to You", "Real Love", "Jesus I See You" and "Glory Come Down" are promising. But I'd also like to see him come unleashed on a full-length pop/rock record.
Will he have to choose one path or the other? I don't see why he'd have to, but it's intriguing to see what more of a hyperfocus would yield.
This Canyon is Rock Solid | Posted April-09-2015
If there's one thing we at NRT have learned about Grand Canyon University over the past few years, it's this: They move quickly. Not an institution to twiddle its thumbs and get caught up in endless red tape, it's been encouraging to see the speed at which this college has grown and developed.
One of the biggest developments--if not THE biggest development--the university has experienced over the past several years has been the founding of the Center for Worship Arts, a state of the art program that uses cutting edge methods and experiences to train up the Church's next generation of worship leaders.
And the guy at the helm of the program knows a thing or two about worship, too. The center's director is none other than MercyMe frontman Bart Millard.
Another testament to the speed at which GCU moves is the fact that before the first full year of the Center for Worship Arts has concluded, the program is releasing its first EP. Under the moniker Canyon, the student-led but industry-supported project seeks not to turn students into rock stars, but rather to give the world a glimpse of the worship that's breaking out in Phoenix, and to showcase the incredible opportunities that exist there.
Sorry for the hefty introduction, but context is king.
The debut from Canyon, simply titled Worship EP, numbers a modest three songs, featuring two cover songs and one student-penned original.
Quickly becoming the "it" song in Christian music, All Sons & Daughters' "Christ Be All Around Me" gets the Canyon treatment first, featuring freshman Tanner Krenz--a singer who has a soft, soothing tenor worship leader voice. It's immediately clear that the production quality of the record is industry standard, with instrumentation, mixing and arrangements standing up with Canyon's heavy-hitting contemporaries.
I'm not sure what it is, but something about the way Canyon does this song that makes it feel more congregational than many of the other recordings of it. As a program dedicated to the training and furthering of worship, this is a great sign that indeed the program is training people to get congregations to sing, rather than to be Sunday morning soloists.
Tim Timmons originally released the song "Christ In Me" on his debut record a couple of years ago, but it never became a radio single, and thus is probably unknown to most Christian music fans. That's a shame, as it's a good introspective song, but with Canyon breathing new life into the track, the song that asks "What if I believed in Your power?" soon will be on everyone's lips. Vocalist Maddison Harris has incredibly strong vocal chops and turns a song that seemed a bit melancholy in its original form into a hopeful anthem of discovery. This is the standout track on the record, and one that best showcases Canyon's musical prowess, arrangement skills and vocal talent. It deserves to be a radio single.
While "Christ In Me" is the standout track of the record, the one that will pull on your heartstrings the most is the original track, titled "Follow Me." The song's writer, Desiree Aguilar, sings on this very personal track about the forgiveness and restoration available to us through Christ. The pure and innocent message--clearly birthed out of a testimony--is equal parts personal and universal. It's a necessary part of this EP, and shows the tip of the iceberg of the songwriting talent at GCU.
Closing Thoughts:
It's pretty incredible what this program has done in such a short time: landing Bart Millard as its director, pulling together a talented first freshman class, and now, this EP, which can stand up with the "big boys" in the industry as quality material and spiritually authentic. If this solid effort is just the beginning of what's going to start coming out of GCU's Center for Worship Arts, then buckle up. They've set the bar high with their first outing, and we're excited to see what's next.
Emphasizing the Fellowship | Posted April-09-2015
Nowadays, it seems that pretty much every megachurch in America is recording an album, and for the most part, a whole lot of them follow the same formula, musically speaking. Prevailing trends often take center stage, and there's little actual pioneering when it comes to the sound these albums provide--and, true enough, in a medium that's designed to appeal to people coming in on Sunday morning in hopes of getting them to sing to their Creator, it's not necessarily a bad thing.
For those seeking a little more musical meat in their church-based worship, Fellowship Creative fits the bill. The 2014 WE LOVE CHRISTIAN MUSIC AWARDS nominee wowed and surprised people with their unconventional national debut, Running to Follow, and now, less than a year later, they're back with a new EP, Alive in Us, featuring four new songs and two acoustic renditions of two of those songs.
"Grace On Top Of Grace" is a four-on-the-floor low-key but uptempo opener that would be at home on a Matt Redman record. Very hymn-like in its structure and almost Celtic in its execution, the song is another stylistic surprise from Fellowship Creative, although it probably runs closer to the mainstream sounds than one might expect from hearing Running to Follow. The "once lost, now found" message of the song is one of grateful celebration.
Instead of pounding synths orchestrating "With Us," it sounds as if they've deployed a mandolin to produce the looping riff that drives this second uptempo number. The standout track on this EP, "With Us" is a declaration of the power and freedom that comes with realizing the Lord is for us and not against us now that we're in Christ. While it has plenty of dance track DNA, there's something quasi-folky about it, almost like Crowder's "folktronica" that's intriguing, which is representative of Fellowship Creative's musical allure.
The simple ballad "Name of Jesus" attributes the forgiveness of sins and stains made clean by being "covered in the name of Jesus," a word picture not often sang in contemporary worship music. The contemplative, piano driven song is strongest in the crescendoing bridge, as the male vocalist sings: "All my strength is in You, Lord / Now my heart will sing Your praise / Nothing formed against me stands / In the power of Your name."
A total Easter song, "Jesus Is Alive" declares the Lord's triumph over death and the grave. Like Bill Gaither's "Because He Lives" and Matt Maher's "Because He Lives (Amen)" before it, this song goes from focusing on Jesus' victory to the fact that we get to share in such victory. Military-like snare drums build the intensity of this cinematic song, as does a bed of subtle electronic programming elements. This is probably Fellowship Creative's greatest slow-song to date.
The acoustic version of "With Us" almost sounds completely different, with the stripped down, two acoustic guitar arrangement that allows the singer's Jeremy Riddle-like voice to shine. While it's clear this version was included to show that this song could be done with a lone worship leader and a guitar (or two), it would've been nice to hear a cajon or some sort of percussion driving the tune.
They flesh out the acoustic version of "Jesus Is Alive" a little better, with piano, strings and even a bit of ambient electric guitar (I think) providing a fuller experience for such an epic, cinematic song. This still-powerful, but more subdued version of this song is beautiful as a meditative song or something that could be used during Communion or a baptism.
Closing Thoughts:
While not as divergent musically as Running to Follow, it's clear that Fellowship Creative's Alive in Us EP is geared toward the global Church, providing accessible instrumentations, memorable choruses and important themes that easily will find their way to scores of Sunday morning services.
There are some great worshipful moments on the record, and the production quality is stellar. The subject matter of Jesus being alive and active is something that never gets old, and the band does its duty best to put its unique stamp on a timeless concept, to the point where you're feeling like you're truly singing a new song unto the Lord.
Whereas the group's debut record stretched the bounds of musical and stylistic creativity, making us all take another look at what worship albums could sound like, Alive in Us shows us the apostolic heart of Fellowship Creative's worship ministry by giving the "capital C" Church resources to get people praising. Whereas the debut emphasized the CREATIVE in Fellowship Creative, this EP emphasizes the FELLOWSHIP.
Raw, Real and Required Listening | Posted December-31-2014
I first came into contact with Judah & the Lion during their set at Creation Festival Northwest this summer. I had walked past the indie stage only to hear an Appalachian-inspired rendition of Eminem's "Lose Yourself" that I couldn't ignore. The three-piece put on a pretty incredible show that was high-energy, musically excellent, and diverse in its execution.
The band is by no means new--just new to me. And with their latest effort, Kids These Days, I'm guessing they're going to be known by a whole slew of new fans.
"Kickin Da Leaves" gets your attention right away with a head-nodding hip-hop beat that you don't normally feel with the rambling bluegrass licks of a banjo. Lots of fun repeating words: "And when when when when when you you you you find find find find me me me me I'll be kickin da leaves!"
It's an uptempo beginning with a more melancholy lyric driving it: "I don't know my way back home / The light broke at the end of the tunnel."
"Good Time" is a chilled out song about the inability to change: "Wait to find a crazy ride. You see the road, but you don't take it. You fight to lead a different life. You won't change it." It seems trivial, and almost insulting, to say that fans of NEEDTOBREATHE and Mumford & Sons will enjoy this, but the truth is, they will. It's not to say they sound like them, but there's an incredible lyrical honesty to go with their banjo-wailing performances that put them in that good company. It's a compliment of the highest order in this case. (Judah & the Lion explores different subgenres better than their contemporaries, though, delving into Bluegrass, Americana, Folk, Appalachian and even a little Southern Rock musical tendencies.)
Judah & the Lion waxes reflective on the changes life brings, and this is most specifically detailed in "Everything Changes," a song about just that. Brother and sister go from playing basketball and with dolls to filing tax reports and getting married. Despite all the changes, they powerfully sing, "You don't change for anything; You won't be moved... You're always true," in a statement of God's stability.
In what's essentially an anthem of the "Quarterlife Crisis," the song "Twenty-Somethings" sums up the young adult experience: "Running scared / Running free / Full of light / Got no money / Yeah, that's us / Twenty-somethings." Haunting, ohs in the background illustrate the longing for direction that's endemic in a generation.
The song "Scared" is a testament to the fact that God never leaves. Akers sings about all the things of which he's scared (including "vampires that fall in love," a la Twilight), but says he's not afraid of being alone. It's a toe-tapping number whose musical feel belies its more weighty subject matter, with the exception of the underlying organ.
"Mason-Dixon Line" is an ode to the South, where Akers sings about wanting to grow old below the famous delineation between America's North and South. There's some slide guitar snuck in there that adds a nice texture.
"Ain't it funny how the simple things in life are the only things that really matter?" posits "Rick Kids," a song with that same kind of driving rhythms as the opening track. There are some fun mandolin licks in the verses that add some character to the tough love lyrics that are delivered. It's a song about how as a society we tend to put our value in the wrong places, and we're silently suffering because of it: "Your accounts are full, but all you've found is that you're empty." Akers sings about the Truth of being rich despite having no money.
I heard "Sing Me Your Song" as lyrics delivered by God to His people: "I'm coming for you
All your veils have disappeared / Will you let me through / So my love can replace your fear?" It's a chilled out ballad that's beautiful and honest. The "lai-di-lai"s provide a happy exclamation point on a song that essentially says that it doesn't matter what you've done, God wants to know you.
The most musically divergent track, "Water," shows Akers' lower register as he sings "you feel the water rising up." Definitely more of a Southern-style track than an Appalachian one, the song talks about the weight of life, pain and shame, and our inability to get rid of it ourselves. But it also provides the solution: "There is love, you refused to let it in because you knew it would be making you change." It's a darker toned song that feels like an old-school Gospel song driven by trip-hop beats.
Probably the album highlight and most marketable radio single, "Love In Me," is a beautiful Americana-sounding tune about what it means to carry the love of Jesus: "And I got this love in me. / But it's not just mine to keep. / Like treasure that's buried deep. / I come alive when I set it free." Like something that is the closing song in a movie where the central character is redeemed and radically changed, "Love In Me" is a memorable, dramatic anthem. The band played this song during their Creation set and it was a crowd-pleaser, and it's the kind of song I hope thousands will all sing together in unison someday.
"I ain't no hipster, I ain't no redneck... I guess I lie somewhere in between," sings Akers on "Somewhere In Between," a fun ditty about his quirks and preferences. Before talking about enjoying a beer with dinner and hanging out with sinners, the song declares, "Oh, and I'm in love with Jesus. / I have so much hope and peace down in my soul."
"I ain't no preacher. I ain't no heathen by any means. I guess I lie, I guess we lie somewhere in-between," the song closes out.
Closing Thoughts:
There's a reason Judah & the Lion is a nominee for Best Indie Band in the Third Annual WE LOVE CHRISTIAN MUSIC AWARDS. They're incredible. They put on a stage show that has you dancing to hip-hop music one second, and on your knees in worship the next. They're real. And that realness translates in all 11 incredibly produced tracks on Kids These Days.
The banjo, when used properly, is one of the most emotional instruments--period. And this three-piece finds ways to use the banjo--along with emotive vocals and percussion--to create raw, real emotions about changes, life, and faith. This is seriously one of the best-kept secrets in music (not just Christian music), and everyone should put this album on, get out a journal, and reflect on your life. I guarantee you'll be better for it.
MarcusHathcock_NRT's Music and Book Reviews 
