Okay, here’s the deal. There is so much good new music coming out that I don’t have time to listen to it all, much less post about all of it. To be honest, I can’t even afford to buy all of it. So, in the spirit of community we are going to partner in this venture. There are a ton of great new records released in the last month. I’m going to list a lot of them below. And then I’d love for you to comment here and let us know what you have listened to and what you thought of it. If you reviewed one for your own blog, I’d love for you to copy it and paste it below so we can benefit from it. If you haven’t ever reviewed a CD before, that’s fine. You don’t have to be a pro. Just tell us what you thought of it. I’ve never tried this before but I’m really looking forward to hearing what you think rather than what I think. My only comment is the new Gungor CD is ridiculous. As in ridiculously amazing, not as in ridiculously silly. So let the first DIY review begin…
Phil Wickham – Response
Jason Gray – A Way To See In The Dark
Mute Math – Odd Soul
Gungor – Ghosts Upon The Earth
Rachael Lampa – All We Need
Switchfoot – Vice Verses
Andrew Peterson – Above These City Lights
Ellie Holcomb – Magnolia EP
Ross King – God Undefeatable
Matt Maher – The Love In Between
Rush of Fools – We Once Were
Leeland – The Great Awakening
NEEDTOBREATHE – The Reckoning
Jeremy Riddle – Furious
Jamie Grace – One Song At A Time
All Sons & Daughters – Brokenness Aside
Shane and Shane – The One You Need
Hawk Nelson – The Light Sides
And I’m sure I’m missing some. Anyway, start your engines… and review.
Oh, and by the way, there’s a song in there somewhere that I just recorded for the new record. Just an additional piece of information. It’s only 18 albums and maybe 200 songs to sift through.
Can’t wait to hear what you think of what you’re listening to. Then I’ll know what to buy next.
Todd
The only one from this list I’ve listened to so far is Switchfoot’s Vice Verses. One of the reasons for that is that it’s been on near repeat play on Spotify since I first listened to it.
Switchfoot have always been a bit hit & miss for me – I’ve found I like about 2/3 of their songs, but there have always been too many songs that feel like ‘filler’ for my liking. I noticed on Spotify the other week though that they’d released a new album and thought I’d give it a go.
Before listening to Vice Verses, I hadn’t heard any of the songs from the album. It usually takes a while for albums to grow on me – it’s vary rare that I listen to an album and immediately love it. Todd’s own album Need, Decemberadio’s Satisfy and Lifehouse’s Smoke & Mirrors are a few of the only exceptions. (I’m actually listening to Chris Cornell’s Scream at the moment and that might be joining the list too)
Vice Verses has also now joined that shortlist. I don’t think there’s a song on there that I dislike (although Selling The News skirts the line on that one – reminds me of Paparazzi which I wasn’t a big fan of). I can’t say what it is exactly that makes me love the album so much. The songs just all flow well and it has the feel of a band hitting their prime.
The best songs? The War Inside, Thrive, Afterlife and Where I Belong, but this is more one of those albums where it’s great from start to finish, rather than having just one or two standout, obvious radio singles.
You’re the second person who’s said how good the Gungor album is, so I might have to check that out next.
I bought Matt Maher’s new album The Love in Between on 9/20 when it came out. I’m loving it! Deliver Me is a great track, and it has a lot to say about the things we allow to imprison us; very soul searching! There are a couple of sweet songs about love…the kind that make you think, not gag lol! And there are a couple tracks with a bluesy Memphis sound you’d like, Todd. So I absolutely recommend this!
I recently purchased The Reckoning by NeedtoBreathe. This is probably their best album to date vocally and musically. Bear’s smooth and soulful vocals capture you from the start and keep you to the end. The music is strong, very strong. And they stay true to their Southern roots. There are some new instruments that haven’t been used before introduced in a couple of songs. From the Oohs and Ahhs to Learn to Love there is not a bad track. I would say that my favorite track is all of them, but if I had to pick just a few they would be Slumber, A Place Only You Can Go, White Fences, and Learn to Love. They have kicked it up a notch. And, this one is worth the investment.
Just saw Gungor last night with DCB – oh my golly, they are really good – they almost stole the show! The celloist, beat boxist (???) was amazing and very entertaining – I guess he has a gig on the new Sing It show (? don’t really watch t.v.) Anyhoo, I really liked what they did last night and I will definitely get their album. Their new song “beautiful” is beautiful and the words ring so true and dear to my heart.
Matt Maher (a fellow Arizonian) is also really good. I’ve heard several of his new songs and I like, like, like!
Leeland’s new record “The Great Awakening” has three songs that are worth the price of the whole CD. However, if you can only afford to buy one song, get “I Wonder” on iTunes. Here’s the link on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbz5u1Ue9FM The two other songs that stood out are “While We Sing,” a song asking the church to wake up, and “Unending Songs.” The addition of Shelly (sister of Jack and Leeland) creates even better harmony than before.
One that you’re missing is the new Bill Mallonee record, “The Power & the Glory.” It’s his best record since the “Audible Sigh” days. It’s got huge, jangly guitars and incredible lyrics. It really captures Bill’s itinerant journey as a musician and his love of humanity. It’s a 5 star record. You can get it here: billmalloneemusic.bandcamp.com
John
Heather Williams’ first release, “This Time Around”, is a CD I can’t stop listening to. Her message of hope through Jesus is prevalent in every song. Her attitude and approach to her music is one from the heart. The music is secondary to her passion for encouraging people through her testimony of how Christ provided healing and restoration in her life. Two songs from the album, Hallelujah and God is Still God are regularly played on many Christian Music stations. Links on YouTube:
“God is Still God” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcYDcLiiXmU
“Hallelujah” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42k-KLoNnfQ&feature=related
“Beautiful Thing” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzgxLhXkLEA&feature=related
A lot of my favorite artists are on that list — Needtobreathe, Switchfoot, Gungor, Andrew Peterson — and I love all of those records, but I keep coming back to Jason Gray’s over and over. I got a pre-release back in July, and even with all the other exciting fall music, these songs don’t get old.
I already reviewed it for JFH, so I’m gonna shameless plug that right now, thanks. 🙂 http://jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/AWayToSeeInTheDark.asp
As for the rest…. I’ve loved Switchfoot forever, and this is a great record, though I think I still prefer Hello Hurricane. Needtobreathe really try some interesting different sounds this time, and Mutemath…. fuzzy grungy 70s funk. I’ve only listened once, so that’s all I gotta say so far.
PS: It was seriously fun seeing you at Hutchmoot. (my sister was in the Settlers group) Best of luck to you in your writing!
I got Jason Gray’s A Way To See In the Dark. Picked it up while going to see him in The Called To Love Tour with Aaron Shust, Jason Gray and Downhere. I had heard Jason’s songs in the past, but didn’t realize it was him I was hearing. Just before they came in concert I went to a band page (might have been on Facebook, not sure) and heard samples of his new songs.
I immediately fell in love with Remind Me Who I Am and how the words struck straight at the heart with the common cry of all of us as humans asking God to please remind us we are His beloved as we are so prone to forget. The project offers hope to us as we try to navigate through this world that lies in the lap of our enemy, and reminds us God is there to get us past our fear and use us in our brokenness. My favorite was the song that told of how God’s name is the sound of our breathing. We were made to worship God from our first breath to our last. In all things in our lives, God is there; from out joy of being alive to the darkest parts of our lives where we slip to the end of our rope. Every song is packed with the message of hope for humanity. The last song, Jesus We Are Grateful sums it up in the gratitude for our Creator who gives us grace & mercy and finds a way to reach us in our shadowed world where finding our way is difficult at best.Â
“The maker of the mountains, He will make a way to lead me through the darkness to the other side… Every chapter that we’ve been through has taught me to rely on you. Jesus teach me that again.”
Yeah, this one grabbed my heart, broke it to pieces, and repeated with each new song.
Easy to love. Simple words with a message that hits home in every note and word. Amazing music (as his always is) from the most humble man I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. Can’t wait to see him again. In the meantime I cannot stop listening to his music every day. Try it. You’ll like it!
Rush of Fools third CD, We Once Were is my favorite new CD! The guys and their music have evolved over time and they express that in their first track “we can’t stay the same as we once were”. There is more electric guitar on this album, which makes for a great sound. Grace Found Me is their first radio single and is a beautiful song. ROF lyrics are always good at pointing you to God and your relationship with Him. The melodies are very catchy. I have almost every song in my head on any given day, which is a good thing! I highly recommend this album from some humble, Alabama boys who love God.
Also not on the list is Downhere’s On the Altar of Love. As with all Downhere albums, it’s filled with great songs and great vocals from Marc Martel and Jason Germaine. The title track has thought-provoking lyrics and Let Me Rediscover You is just amazing lyrically and vocally.
A dear, dear friend recently gave me a fabulous gift–the new Jason Gray and Gungor releases. If I’m lucky, I can find 3 or 4 favorites on any artists’ releases that are outstanding. Todd, your music has been the only exception to that because I’ve found every song on every CD outstanding and compelling–songs that touch my heart deeply. But after hearing these two releases, I have to add them to the exception list. I love each and every song on these records, but if I had to choose the very best ones on Jason’s it would be “Remind Me of Who I Am”, “No Thief Like Fear”, “Without Running Away”, “Nothing Is Wasted,” “I Will Find A Way” and “Jesus We Are Grateful.” I love the lyric in “Without Running Away” that says “Run the risk of fearlessly loving without running away.” Powerful reminder to live life to its fullest, and to learn how to love people well. I think it takes a lifetime to learn how to do that, but it’s definitely worth the risk. It’s the way I believe God intended us to live–in His kingdom of love instead of in the kingdom of me.
I really love this album because I can relate to the tension between struggle and faith depicted in Jason’s songs. The last song, “Jesus, We Are Grateful” is what I imagine us singing to Jesus when we see Him face to face. “Thank you, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, thank you, Jesus!” The choir at the end of this song has a powerful, haunting sound as those words, “Thank you” are repeated over and over.
Where do I even start with describing Gungor’s music? It’s definitely music to listen to over and over because of the many layers of sound and depth of meaning that you’ll miss with casual listening. The whole CD is the story of redemption beginning at creation and the fall. Songs that stand out to me are “Let there Be”, “The Fall”, “When Death Dies”, “Ezekiel”, “Vous Estes Mon Coure (You Are My Heart)”, “You Are The Beauty”, and “Every Breath.” The last song, “Every Breath” is a great finale with powerful lyrics of worship, “I will love you with all of my heart. I will love you with all of my mind. I will love you will all of my strength. I’ll love you with everything. Here I am Lord, all I am Lord. Here I am, Lord. I am Yours.” Gungor uses a choir at the end of this song which, like Jason’s last song, transports you to the Lord’s presence as a worshiper bowing down in awe and wonder, as a bride singing to her beloved.
Both of these albums are breathtakingly beautiful and powerfully moving.