Famous For EP
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Alexis 24-year-old Pop Worship artist Alexis Slifer is bringing her passion for worship along with her youthful spirit to her brand new EP Famous For. The six track EP highlights God's faithfulness...
Ghost of a King (Live)
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The Gray Havens Husband and wife duo The Gray Havens is bringing back their Ghost of a King album--this time live. All of the songs from the studio album were captured on the road as they toured across the Midwest,...
Different
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Micah Different is Texas-based singer Micah Tyler's first full length album, following a six-song EP released in November 2016 by the same title. Different compiles the same six tracks...
Full of Heart and Soul | Posted November-02-2017
24-year-old Pop Worship artist Alexis Slifer is bringing her passion for worship along with her youthful spirit to her brand new EP Famous For. The six track EP highlights God's faithfulness while bringing out Slifer's love for God, paired with youthful and fun music behind the mature lyrics.
The EP kicks off with moderate-tempo "Eagles," which details mountains and uncertainty while reminding us that God sees the other side of all our circumstances. The chorus is a prayer to see our circumstances as God sees them. "Only One in the Room" is a catchy pop tune that will leave you singing long after the song is over with lyrics of commitment to God and keeping our eyes fixed on Him. "Wonder" is a standout dance track that celebrates all that God has created, reflecting on the wonder of how much He loves us with lyrics like "All of the mountains they rise to the sky / But I'm the apple of Your eye / And all of the oceans crash with a roar / But I'm the one Your heart beats for."
Title track "Famous For" is a declaration of God's character and faithfulness, a battle cry for God to do the miracles that He is famous for in His children's lives. "It's a powerful message to remember the things He's already done and know that He can do them for you too," Slifer said. The song allows rooms to do that with lyrics like "So make way through the waters / Walk us through the fires / Do what You are Famous For / Famous For / Shut the mouths of lions / Raise dead hearts to life / Do what You are famous for."
The EP ends with another pop-infused upbeat track, "Wildfire." It's a song of passion, delight and surrender to God.
The Bottom Line: Slifer brings joy, passion for worship and love for God into an EP that is very well-executed. The EP has something for the younger generation in its upbeat tracks, but also serves any age with mature lyrics that paint pictures of God's faithfulness and love, reflecting on who He is and what He can do.
For Fans Of: Britt Nicole, Love and the Outcome, Hannah Kerr
Live Storytelling | Posted October-24-2017
Husband and wife duo The Gray Havens is bringing back their Ghost of a King album--this time live. All of the songs from the studio album were captured on the road as they toured across the Midwest, South and Northeast regions of the country to various college campuses, recruiting college string players to play with them. The live version features all of the elements featured in a performance setting, inviting you into the audience with moments of speaking between songs, applause from the audience and interludes throughout the album that allow room between songs.
The Gray Havens have succeeded at illustrative songwriting, as if you were opening a novel and hearing sung what's been written, and the live version allows the listener to embark on their story with them. "Ghost in the Valley," "Shadows of the Dawn" and title track "Ghost of a King" compose the first band of songs on the album that take listeners on a journey with their storytelling lyrics. "Ghost of a King" sings "So I knelt beside the river / And I drank until I drank until I drank until I died / But something in the water / Must have brought me back / it brought me back / It brought me back to life."
The album also features the duo's abilities that stretch outside of their folk, novel-like songs, including "Band of Gold," which is a beautiful wedding song duet, and "Go," another beautiful and heartfelt ballad that gives way to a touch of pop and use of electronic sounds. "This My Soul" is strikingly powerful with lyrics that paint an incredible picture of the fallen state of humanity we're all born into, the promise of a Savior and the fulfillment of that promise: "This my soul you were born / You were born into / What this man has done / It all extends to you / Let the words shake on down along your spine / And ring out true that you might find / new life."
"At Last, the King" is another powerful illustration of Jesus, the King, coming to earth, featuring both Jesus and the Serpent as characters who have a conversation throughout the song. The story is told from Jesus' birth to the temptations He endured and His ultimate mission on earth.
The album also features live recordings of fan favorites from previous albums, including "Silver," "Far Kingdom" and "Train Station," to wrap up the album.
The Bottom Line: The Gray Havens bring their powerful and vivid storytelling skills to life with the live version of Ghost of a King. Their lyrical talents paired with their vocal skill and ability to bring the listener into almost a musical novel will take the listener on a journey to a land they will not soon forget.
Worth the Wait | Posted October-16-2017 Different is Texas-based singer Micah Tyler's first full length album, following a six-song EP released in November 2016 by the same title. Different compiles the same six tracks as the EP, along with five new songs and an acoustic version of the title track. Every track on the album features Tyler's passionate and heartfelt voice woven together with the powerful words.
The album starts off with the title track and current radio single, "Different." The song summarizes the theme of the album well, challenging the listener to have the same longing Tyler does: to be different, and for Jesus to be that difference in us. The second track of the album is also one the listener will recognize, "Never Been a Moment," an upbeat single that topped Christian airplay charts earlier this year. "If She Only Knew" and "Beautiful" are both new songs to the album, heartfelt tributes to all women who struggle with feeling beautiful and good enough for others and for God. Both songs reach out to broader audiences who struggle with the same thing as well.
"Even Then" is another song from the original EP, and is a catchy and upbeat celebration of God's faithfulness. "Recover" keeps the theme of catchy and celebratory going, celebrating the new creations we are in Christ and because of His love for us. "Last" is another song that challenges the listener, this time to make the most of every day's opportunities. "Directions" is another highly relatable and challenging song on this album with lines like "Sometimes I forget You are my true destination / And I make wrong turns to other locations and If you say move I will move / If you say wait I will wait / And all the rest of my days I will follow You."
"Comeback Song" wraps up the new songs with a mix of blues, pop and a touch of electronica. It energizes the listener to rise up and get back in the game, reminding us that we're not down and out, but that we belong on our feet fighting for what matters.
The Bottom Lane: Different is an incredibly catchy album that capitalizes on Tyler's passionate and bluesy voice. The lyrical content and challenges they present to the listener are ones that are much needed in the world we live in today. This was a fantastic full length that should usher Micah Tyler into a place on every Christian music lover's playlist.
A Debut Success | Posted October-09-2017
Featuring a truly diverse collective of worship leaders hailing from Yeovil, UK, Southville's debut album Freedom's Tree features a track listing of ten songs. Those tracks were selected out of a pool of 100 songs written in 2016, all of which were written by various members of various churches throughout the UK.
Freedom's Tree starts out with a lyrical celebration of God's strength with "Strong." This energized song, great for opening worship sets, uses the verses to paint God's strength with truly amazing pictures, such as "Skies are fashioned in Your hands / Planets form as You command / God You are strong." "Every Call," the group's first release from the album, slows the pace down a bit. It continues on the theme of God's strength, and in heartfelt worship, praises God that He's able to hear and answer us every time we call out to Him.
"Creator God," "Always" and "Your Love" continue the album with a worshipful, ballad-like sound, before "Valiant" brings the energy and celebrates with electronica sounds that Jesus is the triumphant Champion. Title track "Freedom's Tree" powerfully illustrates the cross, what took place there and the result. Its beautiful lyrical content is combined with background harmonies to end the song, giving it a fuller, beautiful choir-like sound.
"The Race" is personally one of my favorites on the album, reminding the listener of Matthew 16:25. It's an energizing celebration of the life we have find when we lay ours down and follow Jesus. It's followed by "God Has Spoken," which is another powerful picture of the cross and its result, featuring the incredible declaration "You've won the fiercest of all the wars / Love has said it all / God has spoken / It is finished / Your word of life announced from Calvary / We're forgiven / What a promise / Sing praise my soul."
The album wraps up with "Boundless," which creatively combines all of the elements from the other songs, including great lyrical content, a ballad-like start and an electronic background as the song progresses.
The Bottom Line: The lyrical content of Freedom's Tree, the use of traditional instruments and newer sound effects and the clear love of God expressed through the vocals on the album make the listener press into and celebrate who God is and what He has done. This uniquely crafted album gives the church a fresh new sound and set of songs to offer to God for all He has done, throughout their home country and beyond.
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