Uplifting Hope for the Travelers Posted June 16, 2022 By BraddenFord_NRT, Staff Reviewer
What You Need To Know
Formed in 2007 as a mainstream rock band, Stars Go Dim serves as the moniker for Christian pop singer/songwriter Chris Cleveland. Following two successful pop albums, Better, and the debut self-titled project, the Curb | Word Entertainment artist is back with another stellar pop album to add to Stars Go Dim's already amazing catalog.
What It Sounds Like
Grace In The Wilderness is packed with some of this year's strongest pop songs yet. My biggest concern going in to listen was how repetitive the album may sound. Even though there are some similarities between certain songs, Chris does a great job at giving each song its own sound and space to come through. Some songs dive into mixes of pop worship ("Prepare The Way" and "When We All Get To Heaven"), alternative pop ("This Is Love"), contemporary ("Yes He Does" and "Live Like That"), and full-on dance-pop ("Satisfied" and "Wasted").
Spiritual Highlights
The album title captures the message of the entire record. As Chris shared, "Many of these songs were written during 2020 and reflect the hope and joy that I've found even in the midst of tragedy and pain--hence the title." Grace, faith, and hope for more of Jesus are themes at the forefront. Many songs point to trusting in God and thankfulness for what He has already done. Out of all of Stars Go Dim's projects, Grace In The Wilderness has the most worship influence yet as heard in standout songs like "Authority (In The Name of Jesus)," "Prepare The Way," and "Wasted" among others.
Best Song
There are so many incredibly done songs that will stand out in different ways to all listeners. As much as I love so many of Chris's pop anthems, I found myself coming back to "Prepare The Way." Originally co-wrote by Chris and featured on Bethel Music's 2020 Revival's In The Air project, I love how Chris reimagined the song as his own pop/worship moment that is a can't miss on this project. "Yes He Does" is another standout song, but it's already known by many radio listeners.
So often, it can be easy to find pop albums that come off too "poppy" or lyrics that don't give much spiritually content. That is not the case with this album. Chris Cleveland uses his signature pop sound and blends it with some of his deepest and biblically strongest lyrics yet. If you're looking for a pop album to have on repeat, Grace In The Wilderness is a release you don't want to miss.
