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John Mark McMillan – Economy CD Review

November 4, 2011 in cd review, CD's/DVD's, Review with 2 Comments

John Mark Mcmillan
Economy

Some might say that this is John’s second CD and followup to the Medicine. Well technically YOU ARE WRONG because he had already released music before he go signed to Integrity. John has been in the music scene for quite a while now and has carved his way into the hearts of millions through people covering his songs. Now that those covers have paved the way for him to get in front of people as well I was worried his sound might get watered down. Worried it might get stuck in the box I like to call “that sound’ with over processed and over produced drivel that we hear so much these days.

Praise God like others at Integrity (bravo to those guys again) he is creating ART as an act of worship and not as an act of trying to sell records.

This followup to “The Medicine” is brilliant! Of course he brings us wonderful lyrical content that is poet and beautiful, but at the same time striking and arresting sometimes. Like “I believe You can overcome my economy…You can dig me out of the grave” are driven at our hearts but also bring to mind the time we are living in. He truly has worked hard at his craft at pulling on heartstring and at the same time giving us hope through songs like “murdered son”. The only song I have issues with is “who is this” which is very similar to the bridge tag in “skeleton bones” and that is because I don’t expect a guy like him to repeat a phrase.

Instrumentally it is just wonderful. Great production and creativity. There are times where it seems vocally he could have stretched more for a bit more diversity. Sometimes he gets a bit too Bruce Springsteen for me, but then I remember I don’t like springsteen’s voice and I love John’s!

I absolutely love the song “Sins are Stones” which seems like John’s attempt at a modern hymn. I hope to do this someday soon in church.

The only thing I have issues with and that I have issues with half the christian CD’s and worship our there is WAY WAY too many woah’s and Oh’s. At least he didn’t add in OO’s and AH’s.

Bottom line is this is a brilliant CD that is is not better than “The Medicine”. It is different than that album and 100% equal to it. Many times the second release determines the quality of an artist and often it falls flat. This is a MUST buy album that I promise you will love just as much as “The Medicine”.

Disclosure of Material Connection: We received this CD free from Integrity Music to listen and post a review on our site. We were not required to write a positive review. The opinions we have expressed are my own. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> > “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

4 New albums you need that you may have not heard

October 22, 2011 in cd review, klampert, worship with 2 Comments

I have the privilege of listening to tons of new music and I wanted to showcase 4 CD’s/EP’s I am in love with right now.

1. Matthew Reed – Come and drink
Matthew sent this to me and asked that I check it out for him. I am a sucker for a well produced indie sound and when you mix that with worship I am instantly drawn in. I don’t know how best to describe this album other than it sounds very modern and yet I hear lots of things in it that I loved from the 90′s sonically. It has a Vigilantes of Love vibe to it (without the country folk rock). Wow honestly I really am having a hard time wrapping my head around the diversity and goodness of his sound and Don’t want to do him an injustice by comparing him wrong. The song “crash this place” is fantastic lyrically. “Holy spirit would you move in power and crash this place with love”. I love that image like we are inviting him to sleep on our couch or something. He as our companion and we are asking him to move in. “Emmanuel” is another stand out for me. Somewhere in my twisted brain this is what Norah Jones would sound like if she was a dude. I love this song and Really hope to be able to use it maybe even this Christmas. All in all this is a great 6 track CD that is creative, full of great stuff and does not get stuck in the rut of the “modern worship” sound with tons of delay pedals.

2. August York – This is How we Met
This is the First CD from my friends Mckendree and Rachel Tucker. Mckendree of course has had many great solo albums and played with Sonicflood as well, but after he got married this band evolved. I am a huge fan of what Mckendree does with his production, loops, and crazy digital fantastical surprises. He has a very cool raw voice. Rachel on the other hand is a stark contrast very similar to Zooey in She & Him. Somehow the two of them, much like their relationship, were meant to sing together. This CD takes you on a journey. I love what they do with all the different instruments and styles. It really has something for everybody and yet at the same time every song is “them”. It is great to hear them strip it down much like the Civil Wars, but also jazz it up like on the song “What I need”. One of my favorite songs is “no turning back”. It is just Rachel with nothing else and it is so haunting. You swear it is 1930 and you are listening to a Glass record. My one and only negative of the CD is I think Rachel could use more reverb in the production on some of the tracks. Her voice is just really cool and i would love to hear it even more echoed. I can picture these guys in a swanky throwback night club in the village in NY.

3. Nate Fancher – Surrender
I met nate in Sept at the Forge Conference in NJ. He, in passing, handed me his CD for me to listen to and I told him I would review it. I had 0 expectations because I knew very little about him, his ministry, or his “sound”. What I got was something very original and yet strangely familier at the same time. It is an amazing worship album and is starting to become easily one of my top favorites from anything I have listened this year. I love to compare artists to other artists so you can get a feel for it. So I would say it is like Owl City meets Gin Blossoms mixed with the spiritual integrity and lyrical content of Matt Redman. He is such a different and cool sounding vocalist with a Tener voice that reminds me of Ian Mcintosh. Great production, amazing instrumentation and a breath of fresh air. I can see myself doing a few tracks off this CD especially “holy Lovely”

3. Harvest Bashta – Make us Ready
I HATE EP’s because 90% of the time when I get an EP and sound like the church lady after listening to it “well isn’t that special!”. Sadly I find myself more times than not completely forgetting about the artist and not too excited for a full album. When I first heard of harvest of course I noticed her last name is the same as Daniel Bashta (my pick for best CD of the year). Turns out Harvest is his Sister. This EP broke the mold if you will. It is amazing and anointed. It moved me into a spirit of worship, warfare and revival right from the beginning. It is not overly complicated lyrically or musically. What it is though is a cry for God and for Him to show up, wreck us and revive the church. I love all 3 songs. I can’t wait to use them. Her sound is like what if Vicky Beeching and Misty Edwards had a baby. And since that is impossible it must tell you how cool this album is. I am praying somebody signs her ASAP because I want more of her music. Right now this EP is free on noisetrade.

Well there are 4 CD’s you may not have heard or even heard of that I think you need to go out and buy right away. I know what I am talking about so… DO IT!!

Gungor Ghosts upon the Earth review: Are we finally returning back to artistry?

September 20, 2011 in Review with 0 Comments

Gungor has been ingrained in my world of music since the days of his collaborations with Israel Houghton. Back then we knew he was brilliant and had crazy guitar chops, but when “Beautiful Things” came out we found out he was a kindred spirit of the creatives.

Don’t shoot me for this if you loved that CD, but I was not in love with every song. I felt like Gungor as a band was on a journey. A path of finding their place musically, artistically and spiritually.

I did however love much of it which is why I was chomping at the bit to get a hold of “Ghosts upon Earth” which released a day or so ago.

WHAT IS GOING ON!! Seriously, what is happening to Christian music? Are we finally getting that it is about creating for our king and not creating for a fictitious person listening on the radio and buying CD’s? Praise God artists are still out there and willing to be creative for Christ. I have seen too many brilliant artists start on the journey only to be squashed and then create art for many other things besides God.

This is but a piece of Gungor’s journey, but it such an amazing CD. There are so many layers of creative genius and heartfelt worship. I am a sucker for haunting melodies and this CD does not disappoint.

I hate going song by song because honestly who really reads that any way.

This is not a corporate worship CD folks. It is worship 100% through and through though. The production is just perfect. It is simple and lets the gutsiness of the music come through. It reminds me so much of what was coming out in the 90′s like michael knott, adam again, lost dogs, and at the foot of the cross from the Choir.

In Psalms we have so many nuances of worship. There is joy, sorry, battle, silence, lament and more. Why do we choose to only worship God in our happiness? I think one thing that creative albums like this do for us is show that we can worship God with “Everything” we have and are. We don’t have to fabricate a “new” us to present to God.

In conclusion Gungor is just 1 of the many new artists out right now bringing creativity and artistry back into the church where it needs to be.

Buy this beautiful CD, let it soak in and pray that it spurs you to use your soul to create like God created you to.