Ian Yates is one of many fresh faces making a splash in the worship music market. A pastor's son born and raised in the United Kingdom, Ian developed a tender heart towards people from a young age. Having grown up in an area that has experienced some of the worst effects of a crumbling global economy, he's seen first hand the hopeless desperation of others around him.

 

It was from the brokenness found in his community that Ian began writing songs and leading worship at his father's church. His desire was to minister to the hurting and edify the church to leave their comfort zones and go out and love the people outside their four walls. 

 

These life-altering views inspired Ian's debut release, 2010's The Hope and The Glory, which earned him acclaim for his passionate lyrics and musical styling's, which have creatively been noted as, quote, "Hillsong United meets Kings of Leon after a two-week missions trip."

 

Good News, Ian Yates 2012 sophomore follow up, follows along the same lines as his previous effort in it's worship-minded focus, but with a much sunnier outlook.

 

"After I recorded the last album I was asking a few questions," Ian says of the effort, "one in particular was, what is the good news? One thing I'm sure of is that it's so much better than I ever thought or knew!"

 

"An Introduction" serves as an anthemic spoken word into. It's a challenging piece that defines what mankind searches for in religion, but ends with the idea that Christianity is not a religion, rather, the death of it. Album namesake "Good News" follows appropriately and with an upbeat tempo, shares the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

 

"Burning For You" offers a message about shining our light in a dark world, while "Trusting In You" talks about how we don't always understand the hard times we have to go through, but in it all, how we need to continue to trust God.

 

The high energy pace of the project slows with the next two tracks, the melodically moving and worshipful, "The Lord Is Here" and "You Found Me" but slowly progresses again in the mid-tempo tunes, "Freedom" and lengthy yet haunting "The Cross Changed Everything."

 

"New" serves as my favorite song as a whole. An upbeat, melodic marriage comparable to David Crowder Band-meets-Delirious, this is a fun and fresh spin on Sunday morning worship, and is a style I think Ian would be wise to continue building on in the future. Another standout track from a musical standpoint, "The Father's Love," is a wonderful song that talks about just that--God's unending love for His children. 

 

Bringing this album to an end is "You Are Here" which again leads the listener into a time of wholly abandoned praise with it's soul stirring lyrics. Staring off somber but building into a loud and crashing anthem. It's a fantastic way to end the project. 

 

While it might not go down as "Worship Album of the Year" material, Ian Yates is definitely onto something with Good News. His soul stirring lyrics are sure to captivate the heart of listeners, and his familiar yet unique musical arrangements will undoubtedly get you off your feet. 

 

I'd love to see him toy more with the electronic elements found on this project, seeing as he masters them effortlessly. Still, this is a fantastic album, and one diehard fans of the worship music genre will definitely want to pick up and add to their collection.