Search - Passion :: God of This City

Another solid Passion album

JPBronsin | Tampa FL | 02/06/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While the last Passion album, "Everything Glorious," felt experimental and often strayed outside conventional worship, the new one by the Passion Tour team gets further back to the roots. It doesn't quite top the "How Great Is Our God" album, but individual moments surpass it in lyricism and musicianship. It's also the most anthemic album yet, with screaming chorus's and a pump-your-fist style. If this fits your brand of worship, you'll find a lot to like here.



Chris Tomlin rocks harder than ever, starting off with a not-bad rendition of his halfway-decent "Let God Arise." He fares much better with "Sing Sing Sing," which demands shouting at the top of your lungs and is perfect for an upbeat worship service. But the main treat of this album is "God Of This City," originally from the Irish band Bluetree and written for the hardened city of Belfast. This is pure ballad all the way, with poignant lyrics, a soaring melody, and all the right pauses and swells. It's one of those songs that will last a congregation for years to come. Tomlin closes the album with his great version of "Amazing Grace," which if you haven't heard already, is an appropriate update for a song that never grows old.



David Crowder Band gets shortchanged again with just two songs, a remix of the hymn "O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing" and the powerful "The Glory Of It All." I was hoping for a live rendition of "Foreverandever Etc", or at least "Remedy," which seem to be missed opportunities for the theme of the album.



Charlie Hall continues to fail to impress me. To me, he's still just the guy that wrote "Marvelous Light" and little else. "You Are God" and "Walk The World" are easily forgettable, with his usual strange melodies buried in glossy production.



I was hoping for more of Fee, as his last album was an excellent mix of high production and anthemic worship songs. But here, he has a barely adequate recording of "We Shine," an atypical praise rocker that displays his limited vocal range and his distracting worship style. While I appreciate original praise, it's only good when it's good, and Fee has room to grow.



Christy Nockels breathes life into "Hosanna," the good old Hillsong ballad that is perhaps the only contemplative song on the album. Kristian Stanfill, the guy who remixed the hymn "Jesus Paid It All," sings an anthem "Beautiful Jesus," an unoriginal but decent yelling-type song.



Matt Redman never disappoints, as he always writes the most lyrically sound worship with original lyrics and interesting composition. "God Of Our Yesterdays" is a simple song with moving lyrics about the timelessness of God, and "Shine," one of Redman's best new songs, is a call to take action in a broken world. It's even better in this live version. I'm unsure why "Dancing Generation" is here since it's almost an exact replication of the one from his album "Facedown," but it's a meaningful inclusion within this album's theme.





Bottom Line: A powerful album with a unified theme of timeless hope and a must-have for any worship team. Tomlin and Redman again show their best chops, with Tomlin expressing a new style and Redman again writing deep, heartfelt lyrics that stand out amidst the crowded worship genre. The best song on the album, "God Of This City," is worth the purchase alone.











"

Beautiful & Relevant, a few new classics on this one

A. Babjak | 11/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My Background

I picked up a CD of theirs years ago and still listen to it, so I thought I'd pick up their new one.



Review

Passion music tends to be some of the best of modern worship music. Most CDs contain new songs that will be classics in the years to come, and this CD is no exception. Energy and emotion pour from these tracks. Another nice thing about Passion music is that it tends to be timeless. You'll enjoy listening to this CD today and in years to come."

Great Worship Time!

Viviana Pena | Commerce, TX, USA | 10/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a joy to worship and even better with the powerful lyrics and beautiful melodies from the new Passion CD. I listen to it once a week on my way to work and its a great way to start up an awesome day!

Praise the Lord for the music that flows from His hands through His people.

Have a blessed day y'all!"