More than an album of songs this is a soundtrack realigning us to our original DNA. We are made in the image of God, designed to change the world, born of incorruptible seed. The message throughout DNA is of Gods love, grace and goodness from freedom to innocence, living in the fullness and enjoying our relationship with the Godhead. DNA is full of positive, upbeat, and life changing songs, not neglecting the challenges and questions of life, but declaring that there is a hope. Despite the struggles and pain we can face, God is with us and is always faithful.
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Rocking Worship from Across the Pond| Posted August 08, 2014
It has been two years since the release of Ian Yates' sophomore album, Good News. Since then, Yates has been touring in his native country across the pond to "inspire, equip, and encourage the church in worship." The response to his music has been extremely positive and his fan base is continuing to grow.
With his new release, DNA, Yates' mission is to realign listeners to their original DNA. He says, "We are made in the image of God, designed to change the world, born of incorruptible seed." The album is filled with upbeat songs focused on God's love and how that relates to our lives.
A major standout point on this album is the sound. Yates' brand of worship music consists of heavy influence from alternative rock groups like The Killers, The 1975, U2, and Arctic Monkeys. This influence creates a unique sound in the realm of worship music that is progressive and sounds great.
The album kicks off with a bang as the guitars and synth drive the anthemic "Freedom Song," which reminds us that we have freedom from sin and fear through Christ and the Holy Spirit in us. "The First Day" sustains the energy from the kickoff song and reminds us to rejoice every day in our freedom.
The next two songs slow the pace, beginning with the haunting "Christ in Me," in which Yates proclaims, "Every step, every breath, every moment: Christ in me." The dancaeble "Innocent" follows up with the encouragement that Christ has made us innocent and our identity is found in Him.
The tempo briefly picks up again with the vertically directed, guitar-driven "Fullness" before coming to the most worshipful and vulnerable song on the album, "God I Need You." This song, my favorite of the album, is an earnest cry out to God in which Yates confesses his need for God in every moment of life.
"Rescued Me" and "We Remember" are energetic songs of praise with vertical lyrics praising God for His love and everything He has done for us. "Spinning" remains in the same vein as Yates declares, "Your love is like a tidal wave of joy."
Bringing the album to a close are two truly worshipful songs that keep their focus upward. "We Enjoy You", another one of my favorites, leads listeners to profess the goodness of God and to enjoy God's fullness. Lastly, "We Stand" closes out the album with a beautiful building arrangement. The mostly instrumental last minute and a half of the song is a perfect way to finish out the album as it allows the listener to meditate and praise God for His goodness that has been proclaimed throughout.
Closing Thoughts: DNA is a great worship experience that will lead listeners to worship God throughout the entirety of the album. Its songs are lyrically simple and yet packed full of truth and praise. Worship music fans will enjoy it and may even find themselves playing it on repeat for a while.
Another summary point is that the instrumentation and arrangements on this album are fantastic. The guitars especially were exceptional. I believe that the production that was done on the instrumentation will cause fans of alternative rock and British rock who would not normally listen to a worship album to pick up this one.
Song to Download Now:
"God I Need You" (Get it on iTunes here.)
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