January 16, 2007

Music reviews by Brian

We have had this blog up and running for quite a while now. How many postings have I made over its lifespan? Maybe 1 or 2...ok more like 1. So with this new feature of the blog hopefully I will be a little more active. I will attempt to post reviews weekly (maybe that can be my new year's resolution) on music I have been enjoying, maybe some stuff we are singing in worship, or whatever else happens to come across my desk.

Of course I encourage you to respond with additional remarks, disputes, favorite recipes, other discs I should check out, etc....

With all that out of the way, let's get started...

Matt Redman - Beautiful News

Matt Redman has long been a respected songwriter/worship leader. He's a Brit with a passion for Christ and for leading people in worship. His songs are so rich in scripture and meaning, he really knows his stuff. However I have always thought his songs sound much better when someone else records them of does them in a live setting. Not to discredit his writing abilities I just have not been fond of the original versions.

All that is about to change...

With the release of his latest disc (released 12/26/06) Redman has struck a chord with this listener. The songs are just as inspiring as ever but this time around the instrumentation matches!

A few tunes worthy of an iTunes download:

  • Beautiful News - an upbeat great start to the disc. Redman finally showcases a little bit of guitar work on this one too. A little edgier musically than most of his songs, but that makes it a breath of fresh air.
  • You Never Let Go - we have been doing this one in worship for several months now. The version I had heard earlier was a live recording, it's nice to hear the studio cut. I usually can't get through this song without getting caught up in the words. A great reminder that God never gives up on us and is always at our side.
  • Shine - heard this song a couple months ago on a sampler, thinking of bringing it to worship. Great song that you will probably find yourself singing along with and tapping your foot to the beat.

All in all a solid disc worthy of an addition to any collection.

Rating: ***.5 / *****

Posted by Genesis Worship at 21:21:20 | Permanent Link | Comments (4) |
Comments
1 - Gotta love the British accent on the phrasing "whom then shall I fear". Thanks for adding this to the worship music we sing. I find myself humming it throughout the week - it's very catchy and the words are very meaningful especially in the midst of the storms of this life.

I also appreciated the slower acoustic version of Blessed be your name and other ballads on this album. (Comment this)

Written by: Tina at 2007/01/17 - 06:48:14
2 - Love the music review. Thanks for bringing it to the blog. (Comment this)

Written by: Ben at 2007/01/18 - 09:19:13
3 - Brian: KTIS seems to overly gush about the Newsboys new album Go! What are your thoughts? (Comment this)

Written by: Anonymous at 2007/01/19 - 03:38:06
4 - Oooo, do I smell next week\\\'s review?? I have feelings on both sides of the fence for them....stay tuned. (Comment this)

Written by: Brian at 2007/01/19 - 04:49:50
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