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 By Kevin Pollard
• Brooke Fraser: Albertine, Wood & Bone
YOU may not be familiar with the name, but you have
certainly heard Brooke Fraser’s voice on many a Hillsong or United
album; and you have probably sung one of the many worship songs she has
penned, such as ‘None but Jesus,’ ‘Lead Me to the
Cross’ or ‘Hosanna.’
Fraser was a multi-platinum selling recording artist in
her native New Zealand before joining the ministry at the Australian
megachurch. Now her second solo album has finally been released in North
America. It offers 12 original songs which poignantly and artistically
express her heart.
The lush melodies are delivered perfectly, as her voice
is given room to soar above sparse piano-based production. The first
single, ‘Shadowfeet,’ ponders heaven with a vocal delivery not
unlike Nichole Nordeman, Christy Nockels or Sarah McLachlan.
But what truly sets this album apart is the lyrical
depth – as heard in the title song, inspired by a young girl she met
on a trip to Rwanda. She sings: “Now that I have seen, I am
responsible / Faith without deeds is dead . . .
I will tell them, Albertine.”
Fraser will be in Vancouver September 15 at
Richard’s on Richards. Tickets: 604-280-4444.
brookefraser.com
• Passion: God of this City, sixsteps/Sparrow
Mark October 6 on your calendars. The
‘Passion’ college worship conference, as part of its world
tour, is making its first-ever stop in Vancouver – with
scheduled artists Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman and David Crowder Band.
The concert will feature songs from this, the 10th
Passion album. Of the 14 songs on the CD, six are new and exclusive to this
collection – including Charlie Hall’s ‘Walk the
World’ and Redman’s ‘God of Our Yesterdays.’
Standouts are Tomlin’s guitar-driven anthem
‘Sing, Sing, Sing,’ and the powerful title song. Other
highlights include Crowder’s contemporary take on ‘O for a
Thousand Tongues to Sing’; Christy Nockels’ beautiful rendition
of Hillsong favourite ‘Hosanna’; and the perfect album closer,
Tomlin’s ‘Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone).’ 268generation.com
• tobyMac: Alive and Transported,
Forefront/EMI
While many wait with eager anticipation for a new
studio album from tobyMac, the next best thing is the recent release of his
first live DVD/CD as a solo artist, Alive and
Transported.
This package does a pretty good job of capturing the
most explosive and charismatic live show in Christian music.
He once stated: “If it’s Christian . . . it
oughta be better.’ He practices what he preaches, delivering high
quality video production and exceptional DTS 5.1 surround sound. He covers
all the hits from his solo albums, and includes a few shout-outs to his dc
Talk days.
Highlights include the roaring ‘Ignition,’
the hip-hop drenched funk of ‘Catchafire (Whoopsi-Daisy),’ and
the horn-infused ‘No Ordinary Love.’ The DVD extras include a
56-minute documentary featuring insightful interviews with him and his
entire band. tobymac.com
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• PureNRG: Here We Go Again,
Fervent/Curb/Warner
PureNRG catapulted to success with their self-titled
debut album in 2007, filling the tween-pop void left in Christian retail
after Jump5 called it quits. This trio again offers up a fun, upbeat pop
album that’s easy for kids to sing and dance to.
But this effort has more ‘just for fun’
tunes than songs which share their faith. It seems disjointed, as they try
to offer something for everyone. ‘Like’ and ‘BFF’
will appeal to early tweens; while covers of Nicole C. Mullens’
‘Call on Jesus,’ and the classics ‘That’s What
Friends are For’ and ‘Ain’t No Mountain High
Enough,’ seem more geared towards their parents.
There’s certainly more rock attitude here, with
edgier guitars – on tracks like the God-focused opener, ‘Here
We Go Again,’ and the girl-power anthem ‘Girls Can Change the
World.’
All and all, this effort is a step back, as these
newcomers are turning into yet another ‘family friendly’ pop
act seen all over the Disney channel.
purenrgonline.com
• Randy Travis: Around the Bend, Warner
Although it is common to hear expressions of faith in
country music, Randy Travis was somewhat of a pioneer with his overtly
Christian projects – Inspirational Journey (2000) and Rise and Shine (2002) – which paved the way for the recent
inspirational country phenomenon. Although his latest effort is not full of
overtly Christian songs, it has a great balance of songs about life and
faith. His vocals are as smooth and soulful as ever, and the fiddle work
suburb. The bluesy title track describes a maturing lifelong walk of faith;
and the beautiful first single, ‘Faith in You,’ is a meaningful
testament to unwavering faith in an ever-changing world. Other highlights
include the humorous ‘Everything that I Own (has got a Dent)’;
and a song about marriage, called ‘Dig Two Graves.’ randytravis.com
• Kutless: To Know that You’re Alive,
BEC
With more than 1.5 million albums sold, four studio
releases and nine #1 hits, Kutless returns with an album packed with the
band’s boldest artistic statements to date – thanks to working
for the first time with producer Pete Kipley (The Afters, MercyMe), and
writing more songs as a band than relying solely on lead singer Jon Micah
Sumrall. The songs on this effort focus more on melody, and even
incorporate strings by the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal
Philharmonic (recorded at the famed Abbey Road Studios) on the song
‘Complete.’ Fans of their hard rock sound don’t have to
worry, though, thanks to songs like the hard-hitting ‘Overcoming
Me,’ ‘The Disease and the Cure’ and the title track.
kutless.com
September 2008
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