Welcoming a Spiritual Journey
Posted October 25, 2016
By PhillFeltham_NRT, Staff Reviewer
I grew up listening to the legendary band Journey. The epic riffs from Neal Schon's guitar, the arena-like, one-of-a-kind vocals from Steve Perry and the pure sounds of Jonathan Cain's piano solos creates a musical masterpiece that is recognizable to anyone. Cain, whose accolades include writing credits on classic hits "When You Love a Woman," "Don't Stop Believin'" and my personal favorite "Open Arms," has recently released What God Wants to Hear, his new Christian contemporary album.
Before listening to the album, I was expecting to hear Journey's classic sound intermingled with worship. Did Cain deliver on these expectations? Impressively, the lyrics in every song on What God Wants to Hear praises the Lord. Cain has interwoven scripture throughout almost every track.
For those looking for that Journey sound, the song "Fall into You" is as close as it gets. There are moments where you can pick up Cain's vintage piano solos; however, the singer has taken the opportunity to establish his own sound apart from Journey. The singer opted for musical style closer to '80s and '90s classic Christian music, which will please Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman fans.
Cain uses his piano-playing talents to kick off What God Wants to Hear on the lively "Deeper than Deep," the album's first single. "Bold in Prayer" leaves less of an impression, however, Cain rebounds with the piano-driven "Rush into Me." "Have Your Way with Us" shows promise, and "In Your Waters" truly makes waves. "Sanctify" is the album standout: "Declare that I am righteous with justification / Redeemer, purify my soul within / sanctify / sanctification."
The similarity that each song shares in sound and lyrics makes the album lack some needed variety. While many songs show promise, few have repeatability. However, overall What God Wants to Hear is a strong effort.
The Bottom Line: Cain's new album works as a stand-alone, but also births my desire for a new Journey album--with faith-based lyrics. Maybe Cain can satisfy Christian fans with a follow-up effort that incorporates more of the Journey sound. I embrace this possibility with open arms.
Song to Download Now:
"Sanctify" (Get it on iTunes here.)
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