Open Hands (FAIR TRADE SERVICES), the awaited release from Laura Story will be available on Mar. 3, 2017. The GRAMMY® winner's fifth full length album finds her continuing to deliver her notable reflection, vulnerability and personal honesty in 11 new tracks, including the lead single bearing the same name featuring fellow GRAMMY® winner Mac Powell of Third Day. Story also teamed up with Matt Maher and Matt Redman, penning a track found on Open Hands.
The track "Open Hands" has been sitting atop Billboard's Soft AC Chart for three weeks while being heard on 50+ stations around the country, including WRBS/Baltimore, KTIS/Minneapolis, KSOS/Las Vegas, WONU/Chicago and WCSG/Grand Rapids.
"Open Hands is something I've been learning on so many different levels," shares Story. "The crazier life gets, the more this idea of 'open hands' became the theme that God was teaching me. Worship in its very core begins with surrender. That's how we really show God that He's worth it all."
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An Album of Albums| Posted February 16, 2017
On March 3, Laura Story is back with what I like to call her album of albums.
Story's first two major releases, Great God Who Saves and Blessings, showcased her extraordinary musical abilities as a singer and songwriter. Her hit single "Blessings" from her sophomore album received a number of accolades, including RIAA Gold Certification, a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Song and a Billboard Music Award for Top Christian Song.
Open Hands is a collection of worship anthems sprinkled with soft, soothing ballads of praise. "Death Was Arrested," the album opener, sets the pace and tone for the collection as Story proudly proclaims "when death was arrested, my life began." "Open Hands," the title track and first single, is by far my album favorite. For this brilliant musical masterpiece, Story teams up with Third Day's Mac Powell. Together, Powell and Story sing about laying all victories, losses and shame at the cross, coming to God with open hands. The song is definitely a piece of empowerment.
Story continues her new set of songs with the anthem "You Came Running." She proudly proclaims that God comes running to rescue us from pain, heal our wounds and redeem our stories. Story's vocals work in unison with the song's instrumentation and arrangement to deliver a sound listening experience. A power anthem works well when it has a balanced combination of assertive drum work, guitars and other instruments combined with epic vocals, and this song exemplifies this fact.
"Give You Faith" takes the listener down the path of reverence and intimacy. Taken from God's perspective, Story reassures the broken that He gives faith and hope in moments of hardship. The only drawback to "Give You Faith" is the lyrics shift from God to sinner, which could be confusing to the listener.
I can totally see Story's anthem "Extraordinary" sung on Sunday mornings. I think of a church's worship band playing the piece while all congregants stand on their feet with hands in the air, praising God's extraordinary love. "Awake My Soul (1000 Tongues)" is also another standout worship anthem worthy of a listen.
The Bottom Line: Laura Story is the songwriter who penned Chris Tomlin's famous worship song "Indescribable." Story showcases these same songwriting abilities on Open Hands, which leapfrogs past her previous work, making it her album of albums. She has set the bar high, and she will have to work hard on subsequent efforts to pass this highpoint. If you want praise-filled worship music, catchy hooks and quality vocal work, look no further than Laura Story's Open Hands.
Song to Download Now:
"Open Hands" (Get it on iTunes here.)
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