A Familiar Voice, A New Genre
Posted August 11, 2017
By JJFrancesco_NRT, Staff Reviewer
It's always interesting when somebody from a different style of music tries their hand at a worship project. Given the often-monotonous nature of the praise and worship genre, there's instant curiosity when there's a chance to spice it up. Sometimes the result is just the artist caving in to genre norms; other times, it's a project that sounds the same as the artist's other work but introducing worshipful lyrics. And sometimes, the result is a happy mix. This is where Devin Williams' We Are Forever Yours EP comes in.
Williams previously was a proud wielder of the Christian rock sound. Subverting expectations a bit, this new worship EP isn't really a "rock worship" record. However, you can feel the rock influence on the composition of the songs relative to the standard worship fare. The lyrics are vertical congregation songs, but the execution is decidedly more melodic.
The title track "We Are Forever Yours" feels like something that could have come from the pre-Hillsong/Tomlin era of worship music, a bit of a "coffee house" vibe backed with musicianship that is full while not over processed. "Hear Our Hearts Sing" is a highlight, with a strong chorus and accessible melody. The rock influence is definitely apparent, but it's not overpowering and makes for a song still appealing to fans of praise and worship.
All of the songs follow similar formulas and succeed in offering quality worship tunes. If there's a drawback, it's that the similar approach limits the memorability of each of the songs. Few of the songs really serve as an anchor to the 6-track EP, and thus it's easy to avoid a start-to-finish listen. That said, all of the songs are quality contemporary worship and deserve a chance to be included with the big weights of the genre.
The Bottom Line: Devin Williams' take on worship music offers a fine collection of praise that provides consistent quality.
Song to Download Now:
"Hear Our Hearts Sing" (Get it on iTunes here.)
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