A-ha. At long last.
I know it comes out on the 25th. But that never stopped piracy. And who's to say that it wasn't the band themselves who started distributing it all over the internet. Although, I later found out after having downloaded it over night that a site is giving a free preview of the CD. So perhaps the copy I have is possibly a recording of that. I doubt anyone would go to that sort of trouble
So, here's my review of Remedy by the David Crowder*Band. (in case you haven't figured out at this point, they are my favourite worship band)
There are only 10 songs on the CD. Shock and horror. Especially when their previous album, A Collision, was 21 tracks long. Although 14 of them are actual songs in themselves. Let me post a list of the songs to help you understand better:
- The Glory Of It All
- Can You Feel It
- Everything Glorious
- ...neverending...
- Never Let Go
- O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing
- Rain Down
- We Won't Be Quiet
- Remedy
- Surely We Can Change
Regardless, I still quite floored by it. Although this was also a progression. Let me explain. Everything Glorious, I heard first on the Passion 06 CD, and then they released it early in June I believe. So that got through my system. The Glory of It All was performed live at Passion 07 to which I went, and Passion released a live version. So that got through my system. Then I heard ...neverending... over YouTube. And then I found out about a freebie download of Can You Feel It.
However there was one song in particular which was quite different. Crowder rearranges hymns amazingly in my opinion. And at Passion he played his new song, O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing. And Passion had a live stream. Which cut short halfway through the Crowder song. So I'm not satisfied there. And then I realised I should have recorded the video, but the window was gone. And no one had really caught on to the song and recorded it as well.
And so I wait. And wait. Until yesterday, when worshiptogether.com released a preview of the song, and Remedy as well. I can't get over those two songs yet.
But that's for the review.
So how's the album generally?
Fantastic. Inspiring collection of songs on love, on grace, on glory, on redemption and the position that puts us in and the mandate we have.
The rest of the post is a specific review so read on if you want to be bored by me (or inspired when you listen to the album) - either way works.
Alright. How's the album specifically? This is going to be like one of those internet reviews drawn out longer. Much much longer.
The Glory Of It All on the album doesn't disappoint. The increased sonic clarity as compared to the live recording gives it a more reverent tone and you can hear the layers built beautifully as the song hits its crescendo. Makes you want a violin *cough*ShanBerg*cough* in worship services. It hits my list of favourites because it paints quite a vivid picture of the glory of God from start to finish and the story of redemption. Oh the glory of it all is you came here for the rescue of us all that we may live for the glory of it all.
Can You Feel It is well plain catchy. You can only classify it as a techno track. The loops and synths are quite awesome actually. But I wouldn't let the music distract you from the lyrics, which basically setup the rest of the album. It beggars the question whether you can feel the presence of God. And that we can't comprehend that God is there, is everywhere. But as the music dies off with that question, it builds up into the idea that regardless, we know and we BELIEVE that our God is here with us. And it is this belief, this idea of faith that gives us the platform to do much for God.
So we then head into Everything Glorious. This one I have to thank Tim for bringing my attention to it on the Passion 06 CD. I still remember him saying at camp "I think this song is going to be a hit." Good call Tim. This is yet another song about the glory of God, and how that is reflected in all God creates. He makes everything glorious, and the catch line here is: And I am Yours.
Then we head into ...neverending... Haha. Now this is one of two fun songs on the CD. He plays this with a Guitar Hero controller. But past the video game like connotations of the music, there is an interesting message here. It's probably the spiritual successor to Foreverandever etc. on A Collision. It talks about our eternal God and then goes on to say how He is in us, and that this makes all the difference, this changes everything and makes our whole existence worth something.
The next song is quite an abrupt change of tone. It's an especially poignant song. It is set within the context of a time of personal troubles, a time of spiritual turmoil and darkness, "when hope has flown", it clings to the promise that God is known to be ever faithful, ever true, and he'll never let go. And if we cling to that promise, we will begin to comprehend the overflowing power of the love of God, to drive out our despair. Joy and pain, sun and rain, you're the same, you never let go pretty much sums up the song as it draws to a close.
Now to my favourite of the whole album. O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing. I would almost think it'd suffice to post the lyrics of this song and let them explain themselves. But the lyrics are long. After all it's a hymn WITH an added chorus and bridge. So I won't do that. Why do I love this song? It's one of those rare blends of amazing lyrics and instrumentation. It's a song of joy over the love of Jesus and the glory of redemption which builts into a response to the "one great love, Jesus" - So come on and sing out let our anthem grow loud, there is one great love, Jesus. And the bridge hits a note on what it's all about. There are so few words that never grow old, Jesus. It's a foretelling of what heaven will be like, where this one word will never grow old. Can't really describe the music here so just go to http://www.worshiptogether.com/ and click on the newsongjukebox in the corner to hear it.
Rain Down. Haha. I first heard this on the All I Can Say album. It piqued my interest actually. Let me post the lyrics and I'll explain why:
Holy is the Lord, Holy is the Lord
Holy is the Lord, Holy is the Lord
Rain down your love on us, rain down your love
Rain down your grace and cover me
Rain down your love on us, rain down your peace
Pretty short huh. What caught my attention the most was the progression. It's a song of prayer. It's extremely rockish on both cuts, with added electronic flair on the new album, but it's essentially a prayer. And here's how I finally realised it linked. Our God is a holy God, and His holiness means we deserve his wrath, but we've been saved by His redemptive work through Jesus. So what we have here is as we try to be holy as God is holy, we hit a problem, the problem of our 'flesh'. And thus the plea that God rains down his love, his grace and his peace on us. Strange outro on the song though.
Next song. We Won't Be Quiet. Kind of like We Win on A Collision. It's one of those anthem like songs and it's the second of two "fun songs" on the CD. The title's pretty much self explanatory, that we won't be quiet about what Jesus has done for us. However, upon further reflection, is this always the case?
And now the jewel of the CD, the self-labelled Remedy. This song is amazing and it completes the list of my three favourite songs. I should just post what i believe the lyrics are.
Here we are, here we are/The broken and used/Mistreated, abused/Here we are
Here you are, here you are/The beautiful one who came like the Son/Here you are
So we lift up our voices and open our hands/To cling to a love we can't comprehend/Lift up your voices and lift up your hands/To sing of the love that has freed us from sin
He is the one who has saved us/He is the one who embraced us/He is the one who has come and is coming again/He is the remedy
Here we are, here we are/Bandaged and bruised, awaiting a cure/Here we are
Here you are, here you are/Our beautiful King bringing relief/Here you are with us
So we lift up our voices and open our hands/Let go of the things that have kept us from Him
He is the one who has saved us/He is the one who forgave us/He is the one who has come and is coming again/He is the remedy
Oh and I can't comprehend/I can't take it all in/Nor will understand/Such perfect love/Oh the broken and beat/The wounded and weak/Come fall at his feet/He is the remedy/He is the remedy
He is the one who has saved us/He is the one who forgave us/He is the one who has come and is coming again/He is the remedy/He is the remedy/He is the remedyHe is the remedy/So sing, sing/You're the one who has saved us/You are the one who forgave us/You are the one who has come and is coming again/You are the one who has come and you're coming again/You are the one who has come and is coming again/To make it alright/To make it alright/You're the remedy/You're in us/You're the remedy/You're in us
Let us be the remedy
Enough said there.
Final track is Surely We Can Change. Kind of like Stars on Illuminate but even more quieter, and more violin, less audible acoustic strumming. It talks about our mandate. That we seldom get into action despite all we've experience from God. The whole album has been about love and glory and grace and things like that, a stunning story of redemption, and yet we just never know what to do with such love - And the problem it seems is with you and me not the love who came to repair everything
- and that we must choose what our hands will do especially in our world today which is full of love and hatred. And it calls us: where there is pain let us bring grace, where there is suffering bring serenity, for those afraid let us be brave, where there is misery let us bring them relief. And there's an amazing line: And surely we can change, surely we can change something. It's not a question but a statement. That we have God on our side to go out and do something in this world.
And the whole album goes out on a tense note: The whole world's about to change... The funny thing, or maybe not, was that reading this line on a blog post of his, I thought: Isn't this a premature statement? But listening through the whole collection, if this message will not inspire us, then what will? The whole world will change, if only we realise what we have on our side.
Inspiring collection of music. I know this has been a huge gush. Ah well. I also realised that he uses the word comprehend quite a bit. But fairly accurate term as we try to take the vastness of it all in.
2 comments:
yayY me
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