Mr. Darrell Evans, the one behind timeless praise and worship songs like "Trading My Sorrows", "Let the River Flow", "Freedom", "Your Love is Extravagant" and more is back with a new album, Awesome God Is He. This comes after a five-year hiatus since the last release, Nothing Less Than Everything. He is the new kid on the block at DREAM Records, but a veteran in the worship music field.

 

"Alive" has almost a Mumford and Sons feel complete with mandolins and banjos. "Freedom is our song / This train is rolling come along / The joyful is the sound / This Love is real and His grace abounds." Great chorus for the folksy tune "Freedom is Our Song". Steel guitar, rhythm guitar and slight percussion just add to fun for this praise song that would sure be a crowd favorite at his concerts. Churches who dare, should add this one to their set list. 

 

The one thing that has stood out about Darrell Evans is his ability to build strong songs that grab the hearts of the people while sending vertical worship to God. He is truly a worship leader who happens to make records. He is not an artist who saw that praise and worship was a popular—for lack of a better term—genre. The simplicity of the chorus to "You Can Never Be Praised Enough" (same as the title of the song) resonates and allows the listeners to quickly join in. Then he goes into the bridge of the song which says, "Unchanging / Amazing / Unfailing God" which shifts the song into a high gear. 

 

Standout songs are the title track, "Awesome God is He," and "Unto The King." The title song has Darrell using his lower register and tone for most of the verses and then soaring into a higher register for much of the chorus. Hearing one sing of the awesomeness of God never gets old. "Unto the King" will be great for youth praise bands and adult worship leaders. It has a driving chorus featuring electric guitar work and drums. 

 

You can never go wrong with Darrell Evans and it is great to have another release from him. I would not go as far as to say it is a classic, but there are gems and highlights throughout. We should celebrate those artists who continue to pour themselves into their congregations and the world with songs dedicated to magnifying God.