Jonas Park, a beloved worship leader and songwriter at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, teams up with longtime friend and songwriting collaborator, David Bollmann on their debut EP, Foward. Having appeared on several Forerunner Music releases in recent years, including Onething Live: Sing Your Praises, Park’s songs have become anthems among the International House of Prayer community over the past several years. On Forward, their first recorded collaboration together, Park and Bollmann set the bar high for the future as they deliver a cutting edge musical worship experience.
The inspiration for the album title comes from Philippians 3:14 where Park and Bollmann remind us to reach forward with Christ as the prize and forget what lies behind. Songs like “I Remember,” featuring Park’s fiancée, Laura Hackett, “Lifter of My Head,” and the other songs on the album paint this picture with a fresh and innovative musical worship canvas that is reminiscent of The City Harmonic and Coldplay.
Click here to add a video. Click to add lyrics if not listed.
Moving Forward| Posted July 14, 2014
It's not often I find myself comparing music in the Christian music industry to the score of a movie, much less an indie drama. But that's often what I felt when listening to the Forward EP, the debut project by Jonas Park and David Bollmann. Park is one of the worship leaders at International House of Prayer in Kansas City, giving him a vertical perspective which he carries into this project. The soft guitars, calm vocals, and often ethereal and mystical piano work gave a feeling that felt oddly spiritual and soothing. There were simple, prayerful lyrics layered over it.
Songs like "Oh Jesus" have little more lyrics than an already simple chorus. Other songs are slightly more fleshed out lyrically. But the standout element here is more the relaxing musical vibe the EP creates as a setting. The lyrics are always vertical, fairly standard CCM fare. "I Remember" is a solid enough opener that carries a degree of potential.
I think the limitations of the "movie score" feel become more apparent when the songs blend into each other a little too much. An album with a solid flow and songs that fit together is always a good thing. But here the songs don't always differentiate from each other too much. The songs tend to blend together as one long song rather than six separate ones. The low key feel of the music creates a sedated feel to the EP.
There are some strong moments with the strings and piano, though the lack of lyrical meat to complement them means the songs often fall short of creating an experience that is truly engaging. However, the truths in the lyrics are solid despite their simplicity, and they serve as a starting point for more developed writing from Park and Bollmann down the road.
Closing Thoughts:
With a soothing and quiet feel, the Forward EP is a surprising and unexpected offering that offers a relaxing outlet. But in terms of musical identity or memorable song structures, the album falters a bit and doesn't always offer the listener songs that will resonate long-term. Still, this proves potential for things to come from the artists as they flesh out their writing further to provide the plot for their soundtrack.
Song to Download Now:
"I Remember" (Get it on iTunes here.)
to add lyrics if not listed.
