A Collective Worth Your Attention
Posted August 26, 2013
By SarahFine_NRT, Staff Reviewer
One of the latest deliveries to join the ever growing worship music market, is a team known simply as One: A Worship Collective. Their title pretty much sums them up. Unlike most worship teams, which are products of a home based church, this collective is made up of worship leaders spanning the entire country, from Kurtis Parks, hailing from Washington D.C., to the well known Texas-based multilingual singer, Christine D'Clario.
Joining forces at the 714 Conference in Dallas, TX, the group's first live installment, We Believe, is a grand culmination of each worship leader's unique style, mixed with the ever present truth of God's majestic sovereignty.
“Like Never Before” rouses the crowd with a vibrating drum beat, opening the album on a perfect, upbeat note with the scriptural lyric, “This is the day that You have made, I will rejoice, I will rejoice.”
Gritty guitars are met with a soulful melody on “Take Me In,” featuring the superb (and CCM-esqe) vocals of leader Clayton Brooks on the front. The simple yet powerful chorus is reminiscent of super group Jesus Culture in its uncomplicated truth: “Oh the joy that fills my soul when I'm with You Lord, when I'm with You.”
“Come Like The Dawn” and “Every Good Gift” continue to evoke more pristine, intimate praise. Title cut “We Believe” flaunts a crunchy riff as it builds into a climatic outburst of adoration: “Let our faith arise, let it come alive in the power of Jesus / Open up our eyes, sets our hearts on fire, burning for Your name.”
The sonically enchanting “To Honor You” brings to mind the modern sounds of United, while “Jesus At The Center” mixes up the flow a bit by making the transition from programed elements, to a beautifully moving acoustic melody.
“We Crown You” showcases more musical diversity as the perkily folk tune marries with the old hymn, “All Hail The Power.”
“This world may be a fallen place, blind to hope, in need of grace / Though the storms they seldom cease, You will harbor me in peace.” This is just one of the lines in the incredibly powerful “Set My Eyes On You,” boasting honest yet spiritually wise songwriting that is often unseen among its peers.
“Great I Am” features D'Calrio on one of the most covered new praise songs in recent memory. It's impossible to not feel a surge of soulful abandon as the anthemic bridge builds up with a shout: “The mountains shake before You, the demons run and flee at the mention of Your name: King of Majesty / There is no power in hell, or any who can stand, before the power and the presence of the great I AM.”
“You Are Forever” triumphantly closes a fantastic album of sold out praise and worship on a declarative yet mellow note: “How can I say that You aren't near? You were the start, You are the end, You are the never failing Friend / You hold this world in the palm of Your hand, Your mercy is too great to comprehend.”
Closing Thoughts:
Something you'll notice about this album right away, is the excellence of the production. Most first time worship acts tend to get lost in the mix due to their under-produced nature. Thankfully, this isn't the case with We Believe. If anything, it rivals the quality of longstanding worship acts in all their grandeur.
One: A Worship Collective is a talented group of believers, who are clearly joining together for a purpose bigger than the sum of its parts. Any preconceived ideas I had walking into this album were shattered as I dove in and was deeply moved by both the smart, intimate, God-centered lyrics, and the stunningly emotional vocals by every worship leader being presented.
We Believe might not be walking away with a GRAMMY anytime soon, but this is a stellar representation of what the worship market has to offer as it moves forward. Other acts ought to take notice.
Song To Download:
“Set My Eyes On You” View All Music And Book Reviews By SarahFine_NRT | View SarahFine_NRT's Profile
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