Passion: Awakening

Main Review
Passion: Awakening was recorded live in Atlanta this past January with more than 22,000 college-age students in attendance. I eagerly wait for each new Passion worship collection, From the beginning
Passion268 has been rooted in the confession of Isaiah 26:8: “Yes Lord, walking in the way of Your truth we wait eagerly for You, for Your name and renown are the desire of our souls.” As a result, Passion
seeks to gather college and university students across the nation and around the world to seek the face of God, asking Him to ignite in our souls a passionate pursuit of Jesus Christ and a desire to spread His fame to everyone on earth. Louie Giglio says “We believe God is calling out a generation of college students committed to the glory of His name in all things. God longs to bring awakening to every campus, mobilizing the students of today to finish the task of global evangelization in this generation. God is calling us out for this purpose, in this moment, for His renown.”

I’ve been collecting every Passion worship collection since the inception in 1998. The conferences have developed and introduced worship leaders David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockels, Charlie Hall,
and most recently Kristian Stanfill and Steve Fee. My favorite Chris Tomlin songs have generally been the new live recordings found on the Passion worship collections, going back to “We Fall Down,”
“Enough,” “How Great Is Our God” and “God Of This City.” This collection starts with the great new Chris Tomlin worship anthem “Awakening,” which I hope will soon be a song I’ll be singing with fellow
believers, along with the 2 other new Chris Tomlin songs “Our God” and “Chosen Generation.” “Awakening” has a great worshipful chorus which ends with “Let Your will be done in me,” which is the cry of my heart as well. There are 8 new songs on this 12 song collection. The new songs “Say, Say” by Kristian Stanfill, “King of Heaven” by Charlie Hall and “Where The Spirit of the Lord Is” by Christy Nockels
and Chris Tomlin are all upbeat, catchy and worshipful.

The standout songs for me are back to back starting with my favorite song of last year, “How He Loves” as recorded by David Crowder*Band. The energy and power of this song are amazing as a studio
version, but the song was truly meant to be experienced live and loud, make sure you turn up the volume when you listen to “How He Loves” and you’ll be drained as you sing along with this amazing song. The new Christy Nockels song “Healing Is In Our Hands” gives me chills. I could hardly imagine Christy could out-sing herself after “Hosanna,” but don’t miss this amazing new song. You’ll be mesmerized by the power and beauty of the lyrics and Christy’s incredible vocals.

The collection also includes great live versions of “You Alone Can Rescue” by Matt Redman and “Rise and Sing” by Fee which are wonderful new worship songs from albums released by those artists last
year. David Crowder*Band adds another new recording with “Like A Lion” and I was thrilled to hear Hillsong United’s “With Everything” as the closing song, which is a great way to cap off this stellar album.

Closing Thoughts
These are some of the best new original worship songs of the past few years. If you want to experience a worship “awakening,” then you can’t go wrong with the biggest names in the business. Tomlin, Stanfill, Crowder, Nockels, Hall, Redman, Fee and Hillsong United are all in top form on this excellent Passion:Awakening album, easily the best in this great series.

Pocket Full of Rocks: More Than Noise

Main Review
With all the white noise that seems to be coming out of studios and media recently, More Than Noise by Pocket Full of Rocks really does live up to its name. This album is not static, it is not white noise, or just another worship CD. It is a compilation of reverence that reflects the heart and soul of this band, and nothing done for the glory of the Lord with clean hands and pure hearts will simply just blend in. It will make a noise that will be noticed.

Considering themselves more of a ministry than a band, Pocket Full of Rocks has been touring across the country for 14 years. “A lot of what I’ve been sharing out on the road deals with losing your religion and finding relationship with an amazing God,” said lead singer Michael Farren in a press release. “Much of our message is that you’ve got to make more than noise. It’s easy to just walk into a room, sing the songs on the screen and lift your hands; but if you can walk out and not be transformed or see the world around you transformed, then that wasn’t worship. Real worship comes with change, both in you, and the world around you. If you encounter a real God in a real setting of worship, you can’t leave the same.”

“Alive” opens up the album with a catchy rock track that you may have already heard on the radio. It’s about letting the rest of the world know that you have a love inside you that has made you alive, and it’s a love that everyone can have; we just can’t keep it to ourselves. This is an awesome song, because not only does this reflect how we need to be living as Christians, but the reason for becoming a Christian band in the first place should be to share the love of God in a loud way with the rest of the world. “Strong” acknowledges the truth that we are only human and weak. We face pain and uncertainty, and sometimes flat out feel like failures. But it is in our weakness that Christ can best prove His strength, if we just step aside and let Him. Hold on to Christ; He will fight our battles and give us strength when we have nothing left to give.

“Jesus Died My Soul to Save” is my personal favorite on this album. “I stand amazed at your love for me /that lonely night in Gethsemane. / The sinners heart can’t help but thrill to hear you pray / God not my will./ What depth of love! / What reach of Grace…/ to sing yet louder the refrain / Jesus died, my soul to Save.” The music starts out calm and simple, with just a guitar to accompany the words, then slowly builds to a powerful chorus. It ends with a quiet line from the sweet old hymn, “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” As the song slips away, the excited chords of “Let our God be Praised” comes up right on its heals to make sure the listener is still awake and ready to keep worshiping the Lord.

“Let it Rain,” originally recorded by musical artist Michael W. Smith, is brought to life again and finally added to “More than Noise,” after the band having sung in live in concerts for 10 years. Evoking word
pictures of refreshing rain and a deep calm pouring over the soul, this song is a beautiful and very fitting addition to this band’s third release. The musicality on this song is brilliant. The soft yet uplifting
instrumentals add to the feel of serenity being expressed through the words.

Madison Farren, Michael’s 14-year-old daughter, co-wrote “When Love Whispers Your Name” with her father, making this song very meaningful, as it comes directly from the perspective of a teenager. “Our
base theme is that God loves you a whole lot, and religion has made you blind to it. So what does God’s love actually look like? We wanted to write a song about grace, and what Love does through it. Both
verses of the song are based on situations we are aware of.” Michael Farren stated in a press release.

Closing Thoughts
Overall, an excellent album. Listening to this, and allowing your heart to worship God through the music will be a source of encouragement in your day. He is our strength and support, our wings. We are so
blessed to be the children of God. This album reminds me that worship it not a duty nor obligation, but a blessing.

Sanctus Real: Pieces of a Real Heart

Main Review
Popularly known for its captivating recordings and live performances, Toledo, Ohio-based Sanctus Real’s breakthrough album, The Face of Love, released in April 2006, landing at No 2 on the Billboard Top Heetseekers chart and amassing a string of radio hits including the No. 1 songs “I’m Not Alright” and “Don’t Give Up.” While The Face of Love was inspired by real-life heartache and rediscovered joy, the band’s fourth studio release, We Need Each Other, marked a completion of that healing process and is a call for unity.  Award-winning band Sanctus Real gave fans an early preview of its upcoming, fifth studio album Pieces of A Real Heart with its brand new song, “Forgiven,” which has already been a Top 10 hit at radio.

If you like the new, softer sounding “Forgiven,” then you will absolutely love the entire new album. Personally, I’d say Sanctus Real’s songs have matured along with the band members, similar to Switchfoot in that way. However, if you’re looking for edgy rock songs like “Everything About You,” “I’m Not Alright” and “Turn On The Lights” you won’t really find them on this album with maybe the exception of “Take Over Me,” which is one of the rockers on the album. If you liked radio hits “Something Heavenly,” “Face Of Love” and “Don’t Give Up,” then you’ll love this album, which is chock full of radio-friendly yet very personal and engaging songs including “These Things Take Time,” “Lead Me” and “The Redeemer.” “These Things Take Time” got me moving in a similar way to hit song “Don’t Give Up.”  “The Way The World Turns” completes a trilogy of songs that all focus on the topic of faithfulness and the challenges in our walks as Christians to accept and give forgiveness, and also seeking Truth and Hope. “Lead Me” is a surefire hit and is a musical response to Matt Hammitt’s wife Sarah imploring him to be a better spiritual leader in their marriage and for their two young children.  Having been married for 15 years and having three young daughters, this song moves me the most on the entire album.  This song is a “must own” for all husbands, fathers and young men looking for an honest portrayal of the prayer of a Christian man asking God to lead their lives.  I could see this song being a worship anthem for Promise Keepers.  “The Redeemer,” “Take Over Me” and “I Want To Get Lost” are another trilogy of songs that focus on the central themes of asking God to inhabit our inner being and truly allow the power of the Holy Spirit to sanctify us. “’Til I Got To Know You,” “Dear Heart,” and closing song “Keep My Heart Alive” are another great trilogy of songs that focus on the theme of relying solely on the love of Jesus to truly mold our hearts and make us more like Him. “I’ll Show You How To Live” is another personal song like “Lead Me,” but written to Matt’s children in the style of “Boys (Lesson One)” by Jars of Clay.  For me, “Forgiven,” “These Things Take Time,” “Lead Me,” “The Redeemer,” “’Til I Got To Know You” and “I’ll Show You How To Live” are among the best songs ever recorded by this great band. I ranked We Need Each Other my #2 album of 2008 and expect I’ll find Pieces of a Real Heart in a similar position in 2010. Best overall album by one of the premier bands in Christian music.

Closing Thoughts
This album is very personal and engaging. If you like Leeland, MercyMe and Jars of Clay, then you will enjoy Sanctus Real, whose musical style I consider a great blend of alternative rock and worship. I expect multiple hit songs to emerge from this album. Sanctus Real has really hit the mark with Pieces of a Real Heart.

Jeremy Camp: Live

With five studio albums now under his belt, Jeremy Camp releases his second full-length live album, shortly after the first went double-platinum. This time, instead of going “unplugged,” Camp and his band bring out the electric guitars and drumsticks for the full live experience.

Live is a sensible mix of songs from Camp’s repertoire, including hits like “Tonight,” “Let It Fade,” and fan favorites such as the hard-hitting “Take My Life.” Noticeably absent is the heart-wrenching “I Still Believe,” but surely this song has been worn out.

The album breaks half way through for a brief message. Camp shares his heart for this generation and encourages the audience to reach out to others by serving and speaking the truth, a perfect segue into “Speaking Louder Than Before.”

A few tracks, “Give Me Jesus” and “There Will Be A Day,” are powerful and captured well. However, other tracks like “Capture Me,” “Give You Glory,” “This Man,” and “Tonight” feel very underwhelming. The recordings hardly convey the energy that undoubtedly was experienced by the audience. This is often an issue with live recordings and is usually remedied (somewhat) with live footage. Oddly, this live album does not include an accompanying DVD, which could prove to be the album’s downfall.

Closing Thoughts:
The question arises then – Is Live worth the buy? For loyal Jeremy Camp fans, the obvious answer is yes. For casual fans- probably not. If you’re on the fence, I’d recommend picking up Camp’s Unplugged album first. Though it lacks his more recent songs, the intimate setting makes for a more authentic and enjoyable performance (plus it includes a DVD).

History Makers: Greatest Hits

With Delirious? taking a break at the end of 2009 this is the last project from one of the pioneers of the modern worship movement. Since 1997’s Cutting Edge I have greatly enjoyed the Brit-Rock music and lyrical worshipfulness of Delirious?. “I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever”, “My Glorious”, and “Majesty” have become staples in church services, and as a long-time fan of fellow British rockers U2, Coldplay, Radiohead and worship leader Matt Redman, I have eagerly anticipated every album by Delirious?.The final chapter in the Delirious? story closes with this – the release of a truly limited-edition and utterly spectacular compilation, History Makers: Greatest Hits.  There are single and double disc options.

If you are like me and have been collecting every album by this amazing band over the past decade, then you have probably heard all of these songs, however the older tracks originally from Cutting Edge like “Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?”, “Shout To The North”, “The Happy Song”, “Lord You Have My Heart”, “Obsession”, “Find Me In The River”, “I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever” and “What A Friend I’ve Found” have a digitally enhanced sound quality that really brings out the amazing musicianship of Delirious?.  Stu G’s guitar playing has a place in the history of Christian music similar to how The Edge from U2 has influenced mainstream music.  The guitar licks in “Rain Down”, “History Maker”, “My Glorious” and “My Soul Sings” are among the most  powerful and signature-sounding in the history of the modern worship genre.  Many past and current modern worship artists including SonicFlood, Matt Redman, David Crowder, MercyMe, Jeremy Riddle and The Glorious Unseen have built on the “Solid Rock” foundation set by Delirious?.  Speaking of “Solid Rock”, that track is only available on the expanded limited edition 2 disc collection and is one of the stand-out songs originally from The Mission Bell.  From the single disc collection, “Deeper” and “History Maker” represent the break-out album King of Fools, and are great examples of how Delirious? has a blend of both contemporary and worship anthems.  My favorite overall studio album Kingdom of Comfort is represented by “My Soul Sings” and “We Give You Praise” and all-time worship classics “Majesty” and “My Glorious” round out this amazing and spot-on representation of the greatest ‘hits’ by Delirious?.    If you like the ‘deeper’ album cuts by Delirious? (and I do) then you need to pick up the double disc limited edition which includes “Inside Outside”, “Love Will Find A Way”, “Investigate”, “Stronger” and “Paint The Town Red”.

Closing Thoughts:
It’s the end of an era. In this digital download age, I don’t often recommend compilations, however this is easily the best ‘greatest hits’ anthology I’ve ever heard by one of the premier bands in the history of Christian music.

Review Written By: Kevin Davis Date Written: October 29, 2009

We Shall Not Be Shaken by Matt Redman

If anyone has their finger on the pulse of modern worship music, it’s Matt Redman and his rock-solid approach to crafting an album. Rather than flood the already-crowded CCM market with filler projects, Redman settles for a much more deliberate approach, taking three to four years between releases. That means that each track on this album, his first since 2006’s Beautiful News, has the touch of being worked and re-worked to utter perfection. Deliberate and very listenable, We Shall Not Be Shaken has a conspicuously timely message of encouragement and hope during troubling times. The disc finds Redman once again in his “sweet spot,” delivering a potent collection of praise meant for singing along. The title track powers through a guitar riff that is very reminiscent of the Delirious?-meets-Chris Tomlin sound from Beautiful News. “The Glory of Our King” and “For Your Glory,” like practically every track, are destined to become favorites in worship services worldwide. “All That Really Matters” and “My Hope” close the disc on a high note with simple yet provocative singalong lyrics. The album starts to sound slightly safe after repeated listens, almost as if he’s afraid to make a mistake or stretch himself too far. But ultimately that’s the sound of perfection, and no one can deny that Redman is a master of his craft.

Church Music by David Crowder*Band

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, Nothing Compares” and the epic closer “In The End (O Resplendent Light)”.

CHURCH MUSIC (released September 22, 2009)

1. Hilaron (Hail Gladdening Light)
2. Alleluia, Sing
3. The Nearness
4. Shadows
5. Eastern Hymn
6. SMS (Shine)
7. The Veil
8. We Are Loved
9. All Around Me
10. How He Loves
11. Can I Lie Here
12. Birmingham (We Are Safe)
13. Church Music – Dance [!]
14. What A Miracle
15. Oh, Happiness
16. God Almighty, Nothing Compares
17. In The End (O Resplendent Light)