For as long as I can remember Matt Redman has always had an album or single in my current music library, so I am always very interested whenever I see a new album from Matt. This one lived up to my expectations. This will be his first release under the Integrity Music banner and it sure is a cracker. It was recorded live at Free Chapel – Orange County, so straight away it has a congregation worship feel. The album kicks off strongly with ‘The same Jesus’; a ballad with great lyrics, and the rest of the album follows the same structure, strong lyrics with real heart behind each track. ‘We Praise You’ I feel will be a big hit. It has Brandon Lake of Bethel on the track and Bethel themselves released this as a track at the beginning of March. I would find it very difficult to pick one favourite track as I am a fan of the whole album, and I imagine as we move though 2020 more and more of these tracks will appear on people’s radars and on church playlists. With such a huge fan base there’s no doubt this album will sell itself, and it definitely wouldn’t be a bad shout to have this album playing in the shop. It will appeal to a wide audience and will have people tapping their feet and singing along.
Here we have, in my view, a strong contender for album of the year 2020! Alive & Breathing is the latest release from Matt Maher. The unique 14-track project highlights songs that Matt Maher has written or co-written for other artists such as ‘Soul on Fire’ as recorded by Third Day and live versions of previously released songs recorded by Maher such as ‘Because He Lives’. The album starts very strongly with the album title track, featuring Elle Limebear, and continues to go from strength to strength. The second track ‘Joyful Noise’ felt very relevant in March 2020 with all that is going on, with lyrics; ‘Jesus overcomin’ all the distance we made, Fill us with Your kindness, And lead us to repentance, For such a time as this we pray, People, come together, I know there’s a way’. ‘Soul on Fire’ will be an instant fan favourite due to it being familiar to probably anyone who listens to contemporary worship. This version is great and Matt does it more than justice. The other stand-out tracks for me are ‘Come As You Are’ and ‘Because He Lives (Amen)’. This album will be a fan favourite for sure, appealing to a wide range of the market, and I think the fact customers will recognise some of the tracks will help sales. Strong vocals, great worship anthems and the live atmosphere is what makes this album so great.
Do you have a customer looking for a brand new sound for 2020, something authentic, true to the Bible and great sounding? Then point them in the direction of Glory of Eden. The album is David and Nicole Binion’s third and I personally think it is great, and let me explain why. Straight from the off you get the vibe for this album, and I think the chorus of the first track sums up their aim; ‘We will shout Your name, If we had a thousand tongues to sing Your praise, We would use up every one to tell of Your greatness, Tell of Your glory’. From there the album goes from strength to strength, ‘Your House’ tells us of the desire of the Christian to be eternally with Christ in heaven; ‘One place, only one place, One place I desire, To live with You forever and ever’. ‘Bringing Back the Ark’ needs a mention as well, based on 2 Samuel 6, declaring that we are people of His presence; I feel this will be a hymn sung in churches by the end of the year! ‘Pour it Out’ tells the story of the woman with the alabaster jar. It puts us in her shoes. The song urges us to pour out all that is costly before Jesus in self-surrender. These are merely the highlights, but all the tracks are unique and great in a different way. Play this in your shop and allow people to stand and listen. One hundred percent – this is one of the best worship albums in a long time.
In my years of listening to and enjoying Christian music there is no artist that has impacted my worship more than Rend Collective. I have been on the journey with them right from the experimental days of the Organic Family Hymnal, through all of the Campfire sessions and now we land with the latest release Choose to Worship. There was mass excitement when this album dropped through the door in early March. I had a long car journey to get to grips with it, and after the third listen I was well and truly in awe of this great work of worship! Rend have teased us over the last couple of months, sprinkling tracks like ‘Your Name Is Power’, ‘Revival Anthem’ and ‘Day of Victory’. The album opens with ‘I Choose to Worship’ and this really does set the tone for the rest of the album. Whatever may come upon us in our day-to-day lives, whether struggles or victory, we should lift our hearts to heaven and give worship. ‘Revival Anthem’ will be known to most of us, a true call to all of the Church in each part of the world not to lose hope in this day but instead ask the Lord to ‘Fill our hearts… with a holy danger, Lead us beyond our fear of failure, We’ll fight the good fight in Your strength and power ,We’ll take back the night, victory is ours, yeah’. Every track on this album should fill the heart of the listener with joy and praise. Take for example ‘Day of Victory’ as it declares, ‘You ransomed us from our shame, Now by the blood of the Saviour, Everything broken, will change’. Each track in my mind is amazing, each brings something different to the table but the theme of praise is strong throughout them all. I find it very difficult to say that one track is my favourite but I feel ‘Behold He Comes’ is the stand-out for me. If someone said ‘let me hear what Rend sound like’ this is the track on the album I would direct them to, and just wait until the end of the track! I am sure you can tell I am huge fan of Rend and their work over the last few years, but taking my biased cap off, this is a great worship album. It has strong vocals, great noise and the theme of praise, worship, and thanksgiving the whole way through; it will sell itself. Rend have gathered such a strong following over the years that fans should grab this album on the day of release, I just hope that everyone loves it as much as I do!
Together Magazine
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