Declarations of New Life
Posted August 28, 2013
By MaryNikkel_NRT, Staff Reviewer
New Life Church is an artistically prolific megachurch sitting at the foot of the towering Rocky Mountains in Colorado Springs, serving as origin and home to Desperation Band, the Desperation Conference, and a nationally touring Passion play. Their most recent endeavor is the live album Strong God from the New Life Worship team, making the church’s Sunday morning experience available weeklong and worldwide.
The album begins with a few selections with a massive, sweeping musical sound and a heart of declaration. "Jesus Reigns" immediately sets the tone of a corporate worship environment, from the strong presence of many voices in unison supporting the swell of the lead vocals to the emphasis on "we" language in its lyrics.
This lofty, joyful sound builds through "All to Him" into "Victorious God," which is perhaps the most upbeat cut from this collection. "Strong God" takes the energy levels down a notch, focusing on God’s strength as He stands as our Father and Defender. "More Than Enough" is another track that takes a more restrained approach, closer to the indie stylings of All Sons & Daughters than the arena-ready style of Hillsong Live. These quieter moments serve as space for reflection and stillness, fostering an awareness of our great need for a great God.
After the reprise for "More Than Enough," "Ascribe" takes a bit of a different direction again with a strong emphasis on acoustic guitar and violin, building an atmosphere reminiscent of a tender love song as lyrics call listeners to "ascribe unto the Lord the glory due His name / ascribe unto the Lord the honor and the praise." "Unassailable" takes the form of declaration again, focusing on the character and glory of God.
The chill "Who Compares" sets the mood nicely for "Love Divine," which is easily the strongest song from the album. The instrumentation takes a backseat here, simply building a gentle atmosphere for the earnest lyrics "From the dawn of time before the world began, You were the Savior / sent to live a life inside our brokenness."
"Alive and Free" ends the collection on a note of unrestrained joy with lyrics of celebration and music that could easily inspire dancing. It echoes and completes the tone of the first few songs and ties the album together nicely.
Closing Thoughts:
This worship project features the gifts of many different leaders throughout (including Desperate Band leader Jon Egan and worship songwriter Cory Asbury), which serves to avoid the trap of focusing too much on any one leader or voice. Although there is not much fresh material brought to the musical table here, the album is best understood for what it is: an effort to capture congregational worship in album form. The songs are primarily confident corporate declarations of the character of God. These statements are made more even meaningful given that they come from a city that has suffered two years of devastating loss from fires and floods. This is worth the listen for anyone looking to be drawn into songs universally affirming the unshakeable nature of God.
Song to Download Now:
"Love Divine" (Get it on iTunes here.) View All Music And Book Reviews By MaryNikkel_NRT | View MaryNikkel_NRT's Profile
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