Search - Trevor Morgan :: Wonderlight

A Refreshing Debut Album

Michael Janke | San Diego, CA | 05/09/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Trevor Morgan has paid his dues to get where he is today. Traveling as the bass player and opening act for Ginny Owens for years, he has also penned songs for artists like Owens, Geoff Moore, and Phillips, Craig, and Dean. His experience as a writer and as a musical act with years of road experience is evident when you put WONDERLIGHT into the CD player.The most delightful thing one recognizes about Morgan's music at first is that he is not content to fall into the typical Christian pop/AC bubble. As beloved as Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Mercy Me, and Jaci Velasquez are, Christian music is deluged with acts that are trying to hard to emulate their heroes. Morgan turns the other direction, musically. His influences are more along the lines of acts like Sting, Coldplay, John Mayer, and The Wallflowers. On the opening track, "Upside Down" (the album's first single), his vocals sound like a cross between Jacob Dylan and Sting, though the song itself is a tad more conventional. Lyrically, Morgan's prowess as a writer immediately makes itself evident, on lines like "gold streets / covered in concrete / I covered my tracks / but not the cracks in my foundation" and "for all the things I loved and lost / I only wanted to be found." The title track, "Wonderlight," brings shades of Coldplay to mind, mixed with a teaspoon of Geoff Moore, and "Bring On the Peace" continues in a similar vein. "Oh Hallelujah" falls into the overly familiar praise lyric territory, but we rebound nicely on "Awakening," a stripped down song about the process of change. "All About Me" is a feisty rock/pop cut that recognizes how easy it is to see faults in others but so difficult to notice the same flaws in ourselves - ironic and unfortunate, since "the only heart that I can change / is beating in my chest." The one big complaint I have about WONDERLIGHT is the album cover. The art direction here is, well, quite terrible. It looks unattractive and amateurish, and I'm not quite sure what they were going for with their choices here. A big red dot... why? Luckily for us, the liner notes don't have any real bearing on the music.This is the kind of album that most people will probably like and appreciate more the more they listen to it. It has enough hooks and strong enough production to latch on to you on an initial listen, but its true strengths are more subtle and nuanced. Morgan, who wrote every song on the record, has presented us with a freshman project of unusual strength and maturity. WONDERLIGHT, with its message of hope and joy through struggles, is a fine first statement from a man I expect to be around for many years. If you're looking for a pop/rock album that's not your typical Christian radio fodder, Trevor Morgan is your man. FOUR STARS"

Intimate, and Amazing

Bryan | 05/06/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Seeing him on stage, he creates an intimate and inviting atmosphere that allows God to speak to each and every heart in the audience. He's been at this a long time, and God is now using him to reach a larger venue with his debut label release, Wonderlight. Trevor genuinely believes in the words that he has written, so much that seemingly he forgets there is an audience there listening while he himself meets with God every night on stage. For an amazing, moving, musical experience with God, buy this CD."

Simply Moving!

Bryan | 05/06/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Trevor Morgan's music is more than simple chords or lyrics, it is a spiritual movement. I saw him last night in Montgomery, AL. (his hometown). He was absolutely awesome. I would recommend anyone to but this cd."