A Moving Musical Journey
Posted March 19, 2012
By JJFrancesco_NRT, Staff Reviewer
Jeremy Horn has quietly traveled the back roads of the CCM industry since his 2007 debut release, Atmosphere. After his debut and a live album, Horn is back with a pop/rock album that is comfortably rooted in catchy hookiness.
Sound of the Broken offers up a soothing 10-track experience that will call to mind several other acts in the industry without sounding too borrowed. The title track kicks things off with an upbeat and uplifting pop tune pleading to God to “hear the sound of the broken rising to your throne.”
“Now is the Time” is up next, which previously appeared on Horn’s live album. The track proves to be another strong pop offering, proclaiming in its chorus: “Now is the time for your people to lift up their eyes, our eyes up to you.”
“Surrender,” the album’s lead-single, proves to be an album highlight with one of the stronger choruses on the album and offering some of the deeper lyrics from Horn: “Holding tightly to a failing system, No life... no hope. Still unanswered are a thousand questions. Just let go!” The song goes on to proclaim, “There is something beautiful about surrender. There is something beautiful about release.” The orchestration in the bridge helps to lift the song to a deeper level.
“Father of Lights” proves to be another album highlight with a soaring chorus and catchy verses. “This Reflection” closes out the album quietly with a moving melody and meaningful lyrics as Horn proclaims, “This reflection surrounds you bringing you down to your knees. It's the moment of truth when you finally embrace what you see. Jesus is all that you need.” As the album fades out, there’s a distinct feeling of genuineness in the music and in the lyrics that remains for quite a while.
The album keeps Christ front-and-center throughout and the music feels distinctly worshipful without sounding like it was just crafted just to be an easy-to-sing-along-to worship album. The honesty in Horn’s lyrics is admirable and help to keep attention focused on what he has to say.
Closing Thoughts:
Jeremy Horn plays within the popular CCM musical sound, making Sound of the Broken an enjoyable, yet accessible release that doesn’t feel like it’s simply walking the same paths as before. It’s comfortable with what it is and that comes through in the music. It may not define the genre but it doesn’t aspire to. Its simple messages resonate strongly enough and the music has the potential to uplift the listener, which is more than satisfying to find in music today. View All Music And Book Reviews By JJFrancesco_NRT | View JJFrancesco_NRT's Profile
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