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• Hillsong United: All of the Above, Hillsong
The Hillsong United worship band hit Vancouver on their
U.S./Canada tour last month, in support of this eagerly-awaited new studio
album – the first of a three-part global project. This CD includes 12
new songs which capture the raw passion of young people who exist to stir
up a generation to live and stand for Christ. This energy is captured on
songs like ‘Break Free,’ ‘Desperate People’ and
‘My Future Decided.’ A bonus DVD features live music videos and
a full length sermon.
hillsongunited.com
• Tim Hughes: Holding Nothing Back, Survivor/EMI
Two-time Dove Award winner and songwriter behind
‘Here I Am to Worship,’ Tim Hughes has released his third album
– and his strongest one so far. Hughes continues to lead the modern
worship movement, alongside fellow British pioneers Matt Redman and
Delirious? – as this album takes a more high-energy, electric
approach. This pop/rock sound works well on songs like ‘Happy
Day,’ and the driving praise anthems ‘The Highest and the
Greatest’ and ‘Centre of it All.’
timhughesmusic.com
• The Isaacs: Big Sky, Spring House/Gaither
The Isaacs are made up of siblings Sonya, Rebecca and
Ben, and mother Lily. They are considered the gold standard when it comes
to bluegrass/gospel groups. But when the time came to record this 30th
album, they were looking to break new ground musically. So with the help of
Grammy Award winning producer Mark Bright, (Carrie Underwood and Rascal
Flatts) and the opportunity to record at Reba McEntire’s Starstruck
Studio, this East Tennessee family mines new musical territory while
building upon their traditional roots. Highlights include ‘Barbie
Band-Aids,’ a beautiful ballad Becky and Sonya penned with Cindy
Morgan. It’s a tender song about the pride and pain of growing up and
letting go – “one Barbie Band-Aid at a time.” ‘Walk
On,’ a hand-clapping romp about perseverance when times are tough, is
proof enough that The Isaacs’ bluegrass roots are as strong as ever,
with its driving banjo/fiddle-fest. The CD finds The Isaacs singing about
those complex places where faith and real life collide.
theisaacs.com
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• Relient K: Five Score and Seven Years Ago, Gotee/Capitol
Relient K follows up their gold-selling mmhmm with their fifth album, an
upbeat CD of power pop-punk which reflects themes of hope. Lyrically they
continue to offer a mix of humour and insight, as they address themes of
relationship, reconciliation and forgiveness. Songs like ‘I Need
You’ speak about the importance of fellowship and community in life,
while ‘Forgiven’ emphasizes the equality of our sins, pointing
out that all of us are in need of forgiveness. The album closes with
‘Deathbed,’ an epic, 11-minute fictional biography –
which proves a magnificent capstone, both musically and thematically, for
the album. relientk.com
• Seventh Day Slumber: Finally Awake, BEC
Seventh Day Slumber offers up their third album, with
producer Paul Ebersold (3 Doors Down, Skillet, Third Day) and the results
are a solid, guitar-dominated pop-metal effort. Fans of the band’s
heavy music will enjoy ‘My Only Hope’ and ‘Burning
Bridges’; while the moving ballads ‘Undone’ and ‘On
My Way Home’ show the musical diversity of this quartet. The first
single, ‘Missing Pages,’ has seen some heavy rotation at
Christian Rock radio.
seventhdayslumber.com
• KJ-52: The Yearbook, BEC
Dove Award winner KJ-52 is back with his fifth album,
once again offering humour, hope and hip hop. Some songs look at life in
high school – as on the comical examination of young love, ‘You
Hang Up First’; and the tongue-in-cheek ‘It Ain’t
Easy.’ He also steps it up with the fierce metal guitars of
‘You’ll Never Take Me Down,’ and the solid beats of
‘I Won’t Ever Stop.’ But rather than posing with
attitude, he chooses the self-deprecating approach on the funk-driven
‘Do Yo Thang,’ dripping a heavy 70s vibe. Standout tracks are
‘Always Here For You,’ for his yet-to-be-born first son; and
the emotional and spiritual centerpiece, ‘Fan Mail,’ a piercing
piano-driven tribute to the hurting kids who write to him.
kj52.com
June 2007
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