Part of my work requires me to listen to music. I mean a lot of music. Over the last 15 years, I've sampled literally thousands of projects- a sample is what I call a cursory initial scan to determine whether to take time for a full listen. Of those thousands, I've listened to several hundreds of CDs all the way through (hearing every track, completely). Of those several hundred, I've felt strongly enough to write about 90 reviews, of which I've highlighted just 22 as my "Editor's Choice" selections. Make that 23.
When I sat down this last week to hear this CD, I knew Chris Lizotte could write worship songs, and that he was a great voice with a solid acoustic guitar touch. But as I listened to "Power In Weakness" I found myself being emotionally moved. Song by song. Moved. Disarmed.
The longer I listened to the album the more I heard the prayers Chris was singing begin to rise up from of my heart, and I began joining with him. If nothing else, this album is about providing a place for others to join in the safety of surrendered peace with their voices echoing Lizotte's plaintiff prayers. And that is what I found myself doing the more I listened. Joining in. My shoulders feeling as though, for a moment, the weight of the world was lifted off. Not because my circumstances had changed, but because I had a prayer for a moment that could be mine.
Lizotte never expands the palette too far on this project. It is laid back acoustic, roots, with some bluesy tinge and the odd electric guitar dirtying up the texture. Spice that with some occasional hammond organ and gospel background vocals and you have the mixture that is Lizotte's "Power In Weakness". The arrangements and instrumentation sound like you are sitting in a living room, maybe with a few good friends, who are pouring out their hearts to God. Nothing to extensive, but nothing lacking.
This song is clearly not intended on being a collection of "Sunday morning" choruses, yet it still does contain a number of usable tunes for those looking for prayer-styled songs. Three songs stand out as possible candidates in that regard- "Peace In The Middle of the Storm", "I Love Your Ways" and "You Know My Name". My favorite song on this album was "You Know My Name", not only because it is the most singable and most memorable hook, but because it has the most engaging corporate nuance.
This album is full of honesty. Nothing extra. But it is beautiful, clear and unwilling to leave you without giving you several opportunities to surrender your stress filled day to the sense that God waits to hear your voice sing out in prayer to him. This is a unique and emotive album that gets an "Editor's Choice" not just for what it does with music, but for what it doesn't do as well. It doesn't overload itself with endless and varied arrangements, myriads of lyrical themes and layers of sounds. It stays as what the title declares- "Power In Weakness". Very well done.
For churches using WorshipTeam.com, several of the songs, chord charts, lyrics and audio are already available and pre-loaded for you in the WorshipTeam.com system song database. If you are not part of WorshipTeam.com and want to listen to audio samples or purchase the album directly yourself, see the Amazon link below.
Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/Wklxkm
Review by Kim Gentes