Aftermath
by
Hillsong UNITED [MAIN REVIEW]AFTERMATH is the highly anticipated, 11th full-length album and second-ever studio recording from Hillsong UNITED that released Feb. 15, 2011....
Desperation Band [Light Up The World] | Posted September-22-2009 [MAIN REVIEW]
“Light Up The World” is the fifth album from the Desperation Band, writers of “I Am Free”, “Rescue”, “My Savior Lives” and “Counting On God”. Their songs have been covered by Newsboys, Newsong and Phillips, Craig & Dean. The band is formerly made up of Jared Anderson, Jon Egan and Glenn Packiam. This album is a solo project by Jon Egan since Jared and Glenn were working on their own solo projects. It is the first studio recorded album at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. All three are associate worship pastors at the church, serving under senior pastor, Ross Parsley.
Filled with passionate songs birthed in the furnace of worship, prayer and intercession, Desperation Band’s first studio album is a powerful experience calling the body of Christ to mercy and justice. “Light Up The World” is a fresh new sound of worship from the Desperation Movement through which thousands of students have taken the Desperation Vow to wholeheartedly follow God. In a special partnership with Heartwork Uganda, this album is dedicated to being a source of mission preparation and funding for the building of orphanages in Uganda.
The album opens with an instrumental introduction “You Started It All” which leads to “You Hold It All”. I’ve been collecting Desperation Band since “From The Rooftops” which features “I Am Free”, so it took me awhile to get used to the studio recordings compared to the energy from past live recordings. Hillsong United released a similar collection called “All Of The Above” which were also studio recordings. There is a connection between the songs as there are more instrumental tracks, “Dawn Till Dusk” between “God Be Praised” and “Highest Place” and “The Morning” between “Joy Will Come” and title track “Light Up The World”.
There is an ambient feel to most of the songs similar to “The Hope That Lies In You” by The Glorious Unseen, one of my top albums of the year. For me the highlights are “You Hold It All”, “Be The Change”, “Solid Rock”, “Highest Place” and “Light Up The World”. They all have strong messages and catchy melodies. There are several reflective songs including “God Be Praised”, “Holy Ground” and “Angel Song”. There are two songs, “Joy Will Come” and “Highest Place” which feature a female vocalist that reminded me of Brooke (Fraser) Ligertwood singing “Soon” with Hillsong United.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
If you like ambient worship like The Glorious Unseen and the softer songs by Hillsong United, then you should like the standout songs of “Light Up The World” by Desperation Band, especially “You Hold It All” and “Highest Place” which I can imagine singing with fellow believers.
Rating: 8.7 out of 10 (87%, B+)
Review written by: Kevin Davis | Review can also be found here.
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from ChristianMusicReview.org. Click here to visit ChristianMusicReview.org today!
Avalon [Reborn] | Posted September-15-2009 [MAIN REVIEW]
During Avalon's illustrious career, the modern pop quartet has sold over three million records and garnered 21 chart-topping singles, six Dove Awards, three Grammy nominations and an American Music Award. In addition to founding member Janna Long, the group is comprised of Greg Long, Janna's husband and group member since '03, Jeremi Richardson, and its newest member, Amy Richardson, making her Avalon debut on Reborn, and who also happens to be Jeremi's wife. With Reborn, Avalon took a daring move and tapped modern rock producer Ian Eseklin (All Star United, Krystal Meyers, Stellar Kart), joined by Barry Weeks, to produce the group’s 13th project. Along with a new label partnership with E1 Music, formerly known as Koch Records, Avalon's latest endeavor is arguably their most ambitious to date.
I happen to have every previous album recorded by Avalon, and it took me awhile to start writing my review as I wanted to really compare whether Avalon’s sound had made any significant changes. 2004’s The Creed has a similar sound in my opinion, minus Jody McBrayer and Melissa Greene. I have also listened to Melissa’s solo album Next Step several times and if you are a long-time Avalon enthusiast, you probably want to pick up both projects. The album starts with title track “Reborn”, all 10 tracks are one word titles by the way, which introduces the ‘new’ sound and yes, there are a few more guitars and Avalon’s signature sound of men and women harmonizing together. I saw the In A Different Light lineup of Avalon at my church in 2000 and I will agree that the pop sound of Reborn is more refined and more modern sounding. The best comparison I have is Melissa Greene’s solo album Next Step and perhaps Selah’s You Deliver Me . In fact if you like those albums, you’ll love Avalon’s Reborn as it has more energy and is more melodic in my opinion. Next track “Alive” is also catchy and harmonic, and stays in your head. The messages of the songs are very much about faithfulness and being “alive” in God.
First single “Arise” is next and is my favorite song on the album. I like how each of the band members take a line of the song, first the two guys and then the two women each join the song and bring the song to a higher level with the catchy chorus “grace will reach your lowest low and never let you go…arise...arise…” The next few songs “Feel”, “Fragile” and “Destined” all flow nicely and keep the same melodic sound going. Janna’s vocals are very distinct on “Destined” and reminded me the most of classic Avalon in the style of “All”, which is not a bad thing. “Stay” and “Angels” are also nice songs and the album closes with two more memorable songs “California” and “Holy”, which is based on Isaiah 6.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
If you’ve always liked Avalon, then you’ll like Reborn. Although the lineup is new, the sound is catchy pop that is very accessible and instantly recognizable. For me the standout songs are “Reborn”, “Alive”, “Arise”, “Destined” and “Holy”. If you like Melissa Greene, Selah and well, Avalon, you’ll like Reborn.
Rating: 8.2 out of 10 (82%, B-)
Review written by: Kevin Davis | Review can also be found here.
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from ChristianMusicReview.org. Click here to visit ChristianMusicReview.org today!
David Crowder*Band [Church Music] | Posted September-09-2009 [MAIN REVIEW]
David Crowder*Band, the Dove Award-winning six-piece band, crafts compelling, inimitably progressive electronic rock. They are back with their new release “Church Music” arguably their most innovative effort to date. Packed full with 17 full tracks, “It’s our stimulus package,” the frontman player jokes. “We’re doing our part.” The band hopes this album serves as a reminder of the continual evolvement of music within the Church.
One of David’s favorite selections from “Church Music” is “God Almighty, None Compares,” because he loves “the guitar harmony…the guitarmony, if you will, and shredding is involved, which always makes me smile.” The band is rounded out by guitarists Jack Parker and Mark Waldorp , bassist Mike Dodson, drummer Jeremy Bush and electronic violinist Mike Hogan. For the epic “Eastern Hymn,” which is the rest of the band’s favorite song on the disc, David commissioned the translation of an ancient Chinese prayer book which he’d found last summer while the band was on the Passion World Tour, and portions of the translated tome appear in the song’s chorus.
The album opens with “Phos Hilaron (Hail Gladdening Light)”, which sets the tone for this excellent album, my top album of 2009 and my favorite overall album by this amazing band. If you liked “Illuminate”, “A Collision” and “Remedy”, then “Church Music” is for you. The album blends previous musical and lyrical styles with some new ethereal and ambient songs and an incredible cover of my favorite song of the year, “How He Loves”. To add to the uniqueness of the album, the 17 songs on the album play continuously from beginning to end with one song blending into the next. In order to accomplish this, the band poured an immense amount of work into the process, sequencing the tracks before anything had been recorded so keys and tempos could be finalized. The result: 73 full minutes of music. “Alleluia Sing” is next and has that signature David Crowder*Band praise and worship style similar to “Open Skies”. “The Nearness” and “Shadows” bring back the electronic feel from “Remedy” like “Everything Glorious” and “Can You Feel It?”. “Eastern Hymn” is truly epic and flows beautifully into the next few tracks “SMS (Shine)”, “The Veil” and “We Are Loved”. This section reminded me of the brilliant section of “A Collision” from “Do Not Move” to “Our Happy Home”.
The band even tackles a cover on the disc that has to be heard to be believed: Flyleaf’s “All Around Me.” As if the album wasn’t impressive already, David Crowder*Band's beautiful cover of "How He Loves", originally written and recorded by John Mark McMillan, is spectacular. The band finds a unique balance of capturing the sweet lyrical moments of the song but continually crescendos the intensity of the song and the message as the simple chorus builds over and over again. The genuine sound of the song reminds us of the simplicity yet magnanimity of God's love for us. “Can I Lie Here” and “Birmingham (We Are Safe)” bridge to the final section of the album in the style of “…neverending…” and “Rain Down” before the title track “Church Music (Dance)”, one of the most fun tracks on the album. I can’t wait to see this song performed live as it has an electronic feel that will remind you of a 1970’s disco. The album closes with an amazing section from the unashamed praise of “What A Miracle”, and “Oh Happiness”, which reminded me of “We Win!”, the guitar-shredding of “God Almighty, None Compares” and the epic closer “In The End (O Resplendent Light)”.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
This is my favorite overall album by David Crowder*Band and my top album of 2009. For me, this is truly a 5 star album! My favorite songs are “Alleluia Sing”, “The Nearness”, “Eastern Hymn”, “All Around Me”, “Church Music (Dance)”, “God Almighty, None Compares” and my song of the year “How He Loves”.
Rating: 10.0 out of 10 (100%, A+)
Review written by: Kevin Davis | Review can also be found here.
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from ChristianMusicReview.org. Click here to visit ChristianMusicReview.org today!
Bethany Dillon [Stop & Listen] | Posted September-01-2009 [MAIN REVIEW]
Bethany Dillon's Sparrow Records debut stood out, because at only 14, she was a serious writer and artist creating her own material mature beyond her years, with an authenticity of expression and an ability to own the emotion in her music. Similar to Amy Grant and Rebecca St. James, Bethany has grown up as an accomplished artist in Christian music. Bethany is now 21 and married to Shane Barnard of the group Shane & Shane. “Stop & Listen” is her newest studio album. Each of Bethany's first three studio albums impressed me, particularly her singing voice. "Waking Up" really took it up a notch in my opinion with standout songs “The Kingdom”, “Let Your Light Shine”, “Top Of The World” and “When You Love Someone”.
First song “Get Up And Walk” impressed me so much I had to listen to it again immediately. According to Bethany, she read this St. Augustine quote she’d scribbled down a couple months before, “To this you answered me that you are my God, and with a mighty voice you speak to your servant in his interior ear, and break through my deafness.” This inspired me to begin singing the words that start “Get Up and Walk.” The song is catchy and biblical, which really sets the tone for this great album. First single “Everyone To Know” is next and is my favorite song on the album. This song is deceivingly light-hearted sounding, but behind it there’s a very confronting commandment. I often forget what a commandment it is to share who Jesus is in my life and what He’s done. I think it’s a pretty common sentiment among American believers not to want to be too pushy with their faith. Just like “Let Your Light Shine”, this song convicts me to share the Gospel.
“I Am Yours” is based on the story of Hosea and how he was challenged to have faithfulness in extreme circumstances. Title song “Stop & Listen” is another favorite of mine on the album and is based on the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10. You can take away a clean house, a finished “to-do” list, or a perfectly ordered life, but you can’t take away the good portion of sitting at His feet and listening to what He has for you. “Say Your Name” challenges me to focus on my prayer time and pray to be known by God. “So Close” continues that theme of taking time to be near to God.
“Reach Out” is the story of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garments and was healed by her faith. “Deliver Me” is Bethany’s personal prayer about her insecurities and her confessions of pride and lack of love. “The Way I Come To You” keeps the personal prayer going where she acknowledges our freedom from sin which comes from God’s mercy and grace through Jesus and how we are “forever changed”. Closing song “In The Beginning” comes from Isaiah 55 and Bethany wrote it while writing for “Glory Revealed II”.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Bethany’s ability to put the words of the bible to song is truly a gift and the melodies and messages of “Stop & Listen” are all catchy and convicting. My favorites are “Get Up And Walk”, “Everyone To Know”, “Stop & Listen”, “Reach Out” and “Deliver Me”. If you like piano-based music like Ginny Owens, Meredith Andrews and Nichole Nordeman, then you must check out Bethany Dillon.
Rating: 9.3 out of 10 (93%, A)
Review written by: Kevin Davis | Review can also be found here.
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from ChristianMusicReview.org. Click here to visit ChristianMusicReview.org today!
Jason Gray [Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue] | Posted August-25-2009 [MAIN REVIEW]
I’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of the new album from Jason Gray, “Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue”, which hits stores September 1, 2009. Gray’s previous project, “All The Lovely Losers”, dealt with brokenness and now he takes the subject a step further, dealing with brokenness that begins with confession. “Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue” was produced by Jason Ingram and Rusty Varenkamp and artfully blends elements of folk, alternative rock and even some R&B into the project.
“More Like Falling In Love” takes the listener to a deeper level, asking to fall in love with Christ instead of just following the rules of Christianity. There are two versions of the title song “Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue”, parts 1 and 2. Both versions of the title song are about renewal which is the theme of the entire album. Jason’s fixation on redemption is based on his history as a kid with a chronic stutter who eventually discovered his calling as a singer meant that his weaknesses are nothing to hide. In fact, because of our weaknesses God’s grace and strength are perfectly revealed. The inspiration for the title songs came from a quote from ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ and the beauty and truth of the words captured Jason’s imagination. He worked on the songs for over a year and ends the project with part 2, a melancholy song that lists several more examples of earthly tragic events and sin areas that we all struggle with including “every father helpless and angry, every mother with her heart on the shelf, every daughter whose innocence was stolen, every son who couldn’t help himself”. Each verse ends with the question: “Could it be that everything sad is coming untrue?”
First single “For The First Time, Again” explores the excitement of when we first accepted Christ and how we lose that enthrallment when burdened down by our life experiences and tight regulations within the church. The song was written after Jason watched kids respond to an altar call and wanted to experience his first love, “what it was like to fall in love with Jesus for the first time, to be born again”. This is my favorite song on the album and just like “Blessed Be” and “Grace” from Jason’s last album, you won’t be disappointed with the melodic style of the songs.
“Does It Fade With Our Voices,” is a worship song that celebrates our spiritual lives and sacrifices. Like most Jason Gray songs, this song really challenges me to think about how I’m living out my faith with the urge to be God’s hands and feet. The album continues with several folk-style songs like “The Cut”, “This Far” and “Weak” from “All The Lovely Losers” . Many of the remaining songs including “Holding The Key”, “Help Me, Thank You”, “Better Way To Live”, “Hold Me Back” and “I Am New” continue with Jason’s signature-style introspective and challenging lyrics set to folk-pop melodies.
Jason’s great sense of humor comes out in the song “How I Ended Up Here” where Jason discusses how “sometimes he doesn’t like people at all and hides behind a lobster tank from all the people he tries to avoid”. “The Golden Boy And The Prodigal” also reflects Jason’s personal confession of how we all have good and bad intentions in our hearts and minds.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
My favorite songs are “More Like Falling In Love”, “Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue”, parts 1 and 2, “For The First Time, Again” and “Does It Fade With Our Voices”. If you like Bebo Norman, Andrew Peterson and Derek Webb folk-pop style music, you can’t go wrong with Jason Gray.
Rating: 9.1 out of 10 (91%, A-)
Review written by: Kevin Davis | Review can also be found here.
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from ChristianMusicReview.org. Click here to visit ChristianMusicReview.org today!
Sidewalk Prophets [These Simple Truths] | Posted August-25-2009 [MAIN REVIEW]
Sidewalk Prophets initially made a name for themselves at Indiana’s Anderson University where front men and main songwriters Dave Frey and Ben McDonald met. Although we don't consider ourselves to be a worship band, we probably do more worship music than our original music, and that's fine with us.” Integrating worship with real life - that is one of the simple truths Sidewalk Prophets has learned to live by.
“These Simple Truths” the debut album by Sidewalk Prophets, centers on the hope that Christ’s love provides. “The more we look at today’s problems the more we see that a lot of times people are fearful of being themselves,” explains Frey. “And finding our identity in Christ is one of the most crucial steps in loving others. Once people start realizing this and living confidently we’ll see a visible change from households to communities to ultimately the world. “That’s what we’re all about. The name ‘Sidewalk Prophets’ even means that we are common people speaking the truth about life from our perspective as followers of Christ.”
The album starts off with the upbeat song “Just Might Change Your Life”, a song that reminded me of “Life Is A Highway” by Rascal Flatts and “What Could Be Better” by 33Miles both in tempo and style of song. This song sets the tone for a very solid album which really challenges listeners to hear “simple truths” about our walk as Christians. Next song “Show Me How To Love” is one of my favorite songs on the album as the chorus calls out “I confess that I’ve been blind, Open up this heart of mine, show me how to love”. Personal confessions are throughout “These Simple Truths” as the band says the album is about “truth, hope and love”.
The next few songs continue the theme of showing true love to God and others with the heart-wrenching lyrics “So I will crawl upon my knees just to know the joy of suffering” in the song “You Can Have Me”. First single “The Words I Would Say” is already climbing the Christian charts and is the standout title song of the album as the chorus lists “these simple truths: Be strong in the Lord and never give up hope, You’re gonna do great things, I already know, God’s got His hand on you, so don’t live life in fear, forgive and forget, but don’t forget why you’re here, take your time and pray, these I are the words I would say”. The song is a letter to loved ones to let them know how much they are loved by the writer and by God. This amazing song is followed up by the incredible modern hymn and praise song “Moving All The While” with the worship response and chorus “Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”, which is throughout the bible from Psalms to Revelation and translates as “praise God!”.
“For What It’s Worth”, “All Things New”, “You Will Never Leave Me” and “Give It All Away” are all nice personal songs of prayer and response to God proclaiming thanks and praise for our blessings and for God’s mercy and grace. “You Love Me Anyway” and closing song “Lay Down My Life” are the other standout songs for me and both are love songs to and from God. “You Love Me Anyway” moves me as I sing along in praise “I am the nail in your wrist, I am Judas’ kiss, but You love me anyway”. The bridge of “Lay Down My Life proclaims “give me all your pride, give me all your fears, give me all your secrets, give me all your tears” which causes me to break down in prayer as the song is written from the perspective of Jesus as His love song to us.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
This is a very solid debut album and fans of Rascal Flatts, 33Miles and Julian Drive will greatly enjoy Sidewalk Prophets. My favorite songs are “Show Me How To Love”, “The Words I Would Say”, “Moving All The While”, “You Love Me Anyway” and “Lay Down My Life”. This is one of the best debut albums I’ve heard this year along with MIKESCHAIR and Revive. I expect a GMA best new artist nomination for Sidewalk Prophets.
Rating: 9.4 out of 10 (94%, A)
Review written by: Kevin Davis | Review can also be found here.
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from ChristianMusicReview.org. Click here to visit ChristianMusicReview.org today!
Matt Papa [Your Kingdom Come] | Posted August-25-2009 [MAIN REVIEW]
As an artist who isn’t interested in simply making music for music’s sake, Matt Papa writes songs that center around God’s word and doesn’t consider his job done until the lyrics have taken permanent residence in a listener’s head. “If you can write a song that’s full of God’s word, and that song gets in someone’s head, that’s a powerful thing,” Papa says. “I often don’t remember a sermon I heard yesterday, let along a year ago. But with songs, there’s a hook, and people remember it. So that’s why I want to write about Scripture. I don’t want to waste time.”
Staying right on point, the call to live intentionally is a theme that resonates deeply through the songs of Papa’s new Centricity Music release, “Your Kingdom Come”. First song “Hallelujah, Our God Reigns” is one of my favorite songs of the year and it grabs your attention immediately with its piano intro and rock beat. The song is epic and has the best guitar riff I’ve heard in a long time. Matt said he wrote the guitar part and wanted to find a way to sing the words of Revelation 19, “All Glory and honor be unto the Lamb, Forever and ever and ever, Amen”. Check out the song and you’ll be hooked. Title song “Your Kingdom Come” keeps the praise and worship going in the style of worship leaders Matt Redman, David Crowder and Delirious?.
The idea of being flexible and available to do whatever God calls us to do is what inspired the album’s central thesis and first single, “Open Hands”. “You have to live before God with open hands. We may have our plans and ideas, but at any moment, Christians, unlike the world, have to be ready to drop anything and totally do something else if God is calling us to,” Papa says. Some other highlights for me on the album are “Trinity” and “Here Am I, Send Me.” “With ‘Here Am I, Send Me,’ it was Isaiah who uttered those famous words after seeing The Lord, high and exalted,” Papa says. “The Church has forgotten to pray those words for too long. It is wonderful and necessary to demonstrate acts of kindness, service and love, but those by themselves aren’t enough. The world must hear the Gospel. They must hear the name of Jesus. And we, the Church, must surrender all we have and go tell them!”
CLOSING THOUGHTS
If you like Matt Redman, David Crowder and Delirious?, then you have to check out Matt Papa. “Hallelujah, Our God Reigns”, “Your Kingdom Come”, “Open Hands” and “Trinity” are my favorite songs on this very solid album.
Rating: 9.4 out of 10 (94%, A)
Review written by: Kevin Davis | Review can also be found here.
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from ChristianMusicReview.org. Click here to visit ChristianMusicReview.org today!
Phil Stacey [Into The Light] | Posted August-11-2009 [MAIN REVIEW]
September 11th, 2001 was a defining moment in American history. For the first time in years, citizens had a reason to fear further attacks on US soil. It was a time of immense grief, as people not only looked upward to God for peace, but inwardly at themselves, questioning their own mortality and motivations. Among those shaped by the events of Sept. 11th was Phil Stacey, who enlisted in the Navy in 2003 as a direct response to the tragedies.
The son and grandson of pastors had, up until that day, been content with his role as a music minister in Denver. He was able to use his musical talents as an officer, too, having the rank of Musician Third Class.
His stint with American Idol in Season 6 was rather successful, making it all the way to the Top 5 before being voted out.
Now I’d never heard of Phil Stacey before (Idol fans forgive me; I’m kinda out of the loop thereabouts) but upon hearing the first track of Into The Light, I thought his voice reminded me of another Phil (Collins, whom I’m only vaguely familiar with because of Disney soundtrack hit songs). I’ve also been told he’s comparable to fellow Idol alumnus Chris Sligh as well as Warren Barfield. The chorus of said first track, the piano led and flanked “Inside Out”, stayed with me for a few minutes after I listened to it. It’s got this constantly driving sound, which I liked. The song is asking God to change him from the inside out and remove the world’s influences, which he gets caught up in a lot.
In fact, it seems like faithfulness is a running theme in this album. You’re Not Shaken tells of faith in a time of crisis because God is one who will not be moved when everything else is falling apart. Phil describes this as his “Job song”. I thought his voice got somewhat drowned out by the electric guitars, though. (Interestingly enough, I could’ve sworn I heard maracas in the background of this one!) With All My Heart expresses his desire to be faithful right back and to honor God with everything he is and has. True to the title, it really sounded like he poured his heart into this one. There’s also a cover of Rich Mullins’s song Hard To Get, a song about the contrast there seems to be between God’s “omni” qualities and our own mortal ones, and it questions whether God really listens to us. Even here, the resolution of the singer is that God does care, even if we sometimes feel like he doesn’t. Phil recorded this song because it was inspiring to him in a moment of transition where he felt like he was waiting for something to happen.
One. Now if this song hasn’t or doesn’t get picked up as the theme song for some charity campaign or other, it will be. This song was inspired by Phil’s grandfather, a Kentucky pastor who was generous to a fault, as well as responsible for planting several churches. In this world, it seems like there are so many people who think they can’t do anything because they’re only one person, or have so little to offer. Phil reminds us that one is a bigger number than we give it credit for; yet since we only have one life, we’d better use it. Not for glory-seeking, either, but expressions of genuine Christ-like love. The song starts off quiet, but swells powerfully as it goes on. I thought the ending was a little abrupt, though; the twinkle should’ve had more piano afterwards.
Into The Light ends off on a beautiful note with Old Glory, a song dedicated to the American flag and all it stands for. Citizens of the USA are encouraged to come together as one to declare their pride in their nation, and the Christian ideals it was built on. The song starts quietly with a simple piano accompaniment, and you can really tell he believes what he’s singing, even if you didn’t know he has a military background. Even as a Canadian citizen, I too have a deep appreciation and respect for American patriotism.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Into The Light is a great collection of songs that serve to inspire and reassure us that God is faithful, and we must live our lives honoring Him completely. One and Old Glory have potential as crossover songs because of their themes (making a difference and American patriotism, respectively). Phil’s message comes through loud and clear. With songs ranging from slow and medititative to upbeat and inspiring, I look forward to catching one of his songs on the radio.
The Glorious Unseen [The Hope That Lies In You] | Posted August-11-2009 [MAIN REVIEW]
Like so many college students have during the course of their studies, The Glorious Unseen’s frontman Ben Crist also struggled with that one big question while attending Nashville’s Belmont University: What am I supposed to do with my life? After college Ben starting meeting in a living room with 10-15 people, and the experience certainly wasn’t church as usual. In fact, because of that little Sunday night community of believers, Crist wound up becoming a worship leader by accident.
As Ben grew in confidence as a worship leader, he began penning his own praise songs. Ben’s music wasn’t about to have a small audience for long, however. Once a representative from Tooth & Nail Records stumbled upon a recording of Ben’s original songs he knew this was worship music that would resonate with a unique audience. Now as the band The Glorious Unseen, Ben and his band, which includes guitarist Ryan Stubbs, bassist Ben Harms, drummer Jon Todryk and pianist Patrick Copeland, have written a new collection of authentic reflections on the ups and downs of the Christian life.
“The Hope That Lies in You” is the second full-length album by The Glorious Unseen, following up 2007’s “Tonight The Stars Speak”, which featured “Hear Our Prayers” and “Close To Your Heart”. First song “All Around” is a poignant reminder that even when everything around us may seem like it’s crashing down, we’re still alive in God. “There are times in our lives when He’s the only one we can lean on,” Ben shares. “When we’re not allowed to rely on anything else, this is when we grow closer to Him.” That theme of looking for purpose in the midst of struggles continues with “Take What’s Left Of Me” and “How He Loves”. “We Can Be Renewed” features a great crying out “it’s falling apart, what can we do, after all that we’ve been through…here’s hoping that we can be renewed”.
Also serving as an anthem to the questioning soul is “Heavyhearted,” the album’s first single that mixes a happy, melodic sound with pensive, thought-provoking lyrics. Summing up the theme of the album is the hopeful title track, “The Hope That Lies in You.” Serving as a battle cry of optimism in our increasingly pessimistic world, Ben wants to encourage listeners to not to live in fear and isolation—even when the media is saying everything is a disaster.
This is one of the most worshipful and introspective albums I’ve heard this year. If you like fellow BEC Recordings band Telecast and the worship albums “Take Everything” by Seventh Day Slumber and “Strong Tower” by Kutless, then you should enjoy The Glorious Unseen. The sound is very ambient and reflective. I find myself in a state of deep reflection and prayer every time I listen to this great worship album. Musically, this album will appeal to fans of Ruth, Copeland and Coldplay.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
For me, the standout songs are “All Around”, “Take What’s Left Of Me”, ‘We Can Be Renewed”, “Heavyhearted”, “Falling Into You” and title track “The Hope That Lies In You”. Whether as an album to set the mood for reflection and worship or for personal times of devotion, I rate “The Hope That Lies In You” highly for fans of ambient worship.
Rating: 9.3 out of 10 (93%, A-)
Review written by: Kevin Davis | Review can also be found here.
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from ChristianMusicReview.org. Click here to visit ChristianMusicReview.org today!
Britt Nicole [The Lost Get Found] | Posted August-11-2009 [MAIN REVIEW]
Fresh off the heels of her critically-acclaimed debut album, “Say It”, which featured the hit songs “You”, “Believe” and “Set The World On Fire”, Britt Nicole is back with her highly anticipated sophomore release, “The Lost Get Found” on August 11th. Britt is one of my favorite new female artists and has an incredible heart for her ministry and an excellent singing voice. If you like Krystal Meyers, Natalie Grant, Francesca Battistelli and pureNRG, then you’ll love Britt Nicole.
The first single and title track from the album is already making waves on Christian radio while on the road and with her youth group in Tennessee, Britt Nicole continues to touch lives of our youth directly through her songs and her message. “The Lost Get Found” in Britt’s words is ”... simply about being who we are called to be as Christians, and through that, seeing the lost get found. I believe that when we become who we are called to be, the lost will come to know God. They will see that God is real, and that His love is greater than any problem, any fear, any sickness.” I have to admit that this is one of my most played songs of the year. It has a catchy upbeat tempo and has a very convicting message. In essence it is like a sequel to Britt’s hit song “Set The World On Fire” which challenges listeners to live in the Holy Spirit with the lyrics “Lord with You there’s nothing I cannot do”. “The Lost Get Found” is a wonderful song of encouragement to live as a light and know that in Christ we can do anything. God will never fail us or forsake us until the work of the Lord is finished. So, as Britt asks in the song: “when you get the chance, are you gonna take it?”
Britt's favorite scripture is 1 Chronicles 28:20 which she says reminds her daily of God's calling on her life.
“How We Roll” keeps the upbeat tempo going in the style of Britt’s hit song “Believe”. “Safe” is next and has that sincere autobiographical style that I’ve come to really love about Britt’s albums in the style of “Set The World On Fire”. It is a great ballad and Britt seems poised to pick up where she left off with “Say It” with a great mix of different styles, heating up and cooling down with every song a great showcase of Britt’s excellent singing voice. “Hanging On” is another highlight and I keep coming back to the great personal nature of the song. “Headphones” for me is the “Holiday” of this album and has a great electronic feel similar to “Love It Away” by Krystal Meyers. “Welcome To The Show” is another dance-style song and has a another electronic beat and will surely be a crowd pleaser at Britt’s concerts.
“Walk On The Water” is another worship anthem where Britt urges believers “don’t be afraid to move, if faith is all it takes, then you can walk on the water too”. “Glow” is another catchy song with a reference to Matthew 5:15-16 that we can “glow, turn the lights down, so that we can show something real, like a city on a hill”. “Like A Star” keeps that theme going shining like a star in the sky equating God, the light of the world, with how we are called by Jesus to also be a light.
The album closes with two excellent ballads, “Feel The Light” and “Have Your Way”. Both songs showcase Britt’s amazing vocal talent and she bookends her excellent album with another personal crying out to God in “Have Your Way” with the lyrics: “stop searching for the answers, but I’ll trust You God and believe that you’ll have Your way”.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
“The Lost Get Found” is a great and catchy album by Britt Nicole. The title track, “Safe”, “Hanging On”, “Headphones”, “Walk On The Water” and “Have Your Way” are my favorite songs on the album. Along with “Life Light Up” by Christy Nockels this is my top album by a female artist and one of my top overall albums of the year. If you liked “Relentless” by Natalie Grant and “My Paper Heart” by Francesca Battistelli, then you’ll love “The Lost Get Found” by Britt Nicole.
Rating: 9.2 out of 10 (92%, A-)
Review written by: Kevin Davis | Review can also be found here.
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from ChristianMusicReview.org. Click here to visit ChristianMusicReview.org today!
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