Simply Powerful
Posted August 22, 2007
By Epilogue,
Well, you will receive far less of my ramblings on this album than I gave on the last; I got my spiel out, so need to repeat.
Let me start by saying this: 'Lifesong' is, of all things, powerful. Yes, you can argue that the music is little less than inventive, or that some of the themes are so often heard, your three year old could make one. But you can't deny that Mark Hall has a way of giving you goose pumps with his powerful voice. The first song, and probably my favorite is 'Lifesong,' and to me, when Mark Hall earnestly sings out the second line of the chorus, I'm blown away. He's crying passionately to God, and it gives you chills to hear the honesty. Despite the overused 'hallelujah' bridge, and the explicit U2 intro, that song gets me right here : ).
'Praise You in the Storm' is, if you haven't noticed by now, the most popular Christian radio song of the decade. It's a great song, and I love the end, where the piano and guitar sound so cool in the finale. 'Does Anybody Hear Her' displays some of Mark Hall's past goal; challenging the Church. The lyrics are exceptional: 'Judgment looms under every steeple/with lofty glances from lofty people/ can't see past her scarlet letter/ and they've never even met her.' 'Stained Glass Masquerade' is another Church-challenging song that has Nichole Nordemen in it (strange, since Casting Crowns apparently isn't lacking in good female singers). On this album, in contrast to the last, the girl singers appear far less, and when they do, its only as a background singer (save the song 'In Me' which is a little disappointing, since they add variety to the mix.
The heart tugging, tear jerking 'Love Them Like Jesus' is a favorite of mine on the album (yes, I admit it). Despite the fact that it's a 'Mom song' its still very powerful with a powerful message. But, far better is the following track. Casting Crowns proves what it can do with music with their dark rocker 'Set Me Free.' The hopelessness etched in Mark Hall's lyrics and vocals are surprising, considering the past quieter songs, and when he gets to the powerful chorus line ('Set Me Free!'), you get hyped up. A great narration of a demon possessed man in captivity who is freed by Jesus. 'And as the God-man passes by/ He looks straight through my eyes/ the darkness can not hide...Do you want to be free?' Just great. And, my third favorite, after 'Lifesong' and 'Set Me Free' is the unique 'While You Were Sleeping.' In it, Hall sings about how Bethlehem and Jerusalem were caught sleeping when the Savior did great things (was born/died and rose to life). Sounds nice and jolly, but when the next line comes in, I got chills:
'United States of America, looks like another silent night...' The way he sings it, so honestly, is almost disturbing. He then goes on to say 'as we're sung to sleep by philosophies/ that saves the trees and kill the children/ and as we're lying in the dark/there's a shout heard cross the eastern sky...'). Excellent lyrics.
As fellow reviewers have said, the second half of Casting Crowns albums leave something to be desired. Formulaic and 'only nice' songs fill the void between 'While You Were Sleeping' and the great closer 'And Now My Lifesong Sings.' While Casting Crowns doesn't make spectacular improvement from their last album, I can say for sure that despite their criticism for being unimaginative and repeat all their songs, I will definitely buy their next album. Actually, my family has already pre-ordered it : )
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