Kim Gentes

There are moments in worship that mean as much as the songs that accompany those moments. They are the times of encounter, surrender, offering and praise in which something of our most humble offerings meet with the very presence of the awesome God to whom we are surrendering. After 30 years of "modern worship" (however loosely one might define it and move that time marker), some of the best recordings are not marked just by great songs, but by the moments captured in that embrace of emotion, theology, and art. When I think of great "moments" that are captured on a recording, some of the spontaneous moments that come to mind are the song Exalt the Lord with Daphne Rademaker/Brian Doerksen (track 15 on Winds of Worship #2 /1994), Days of Elijah with Robin Mark (track 11 on Revival in Belfast/1999), the opening prayer and spontaneous song Great is the Lord with Kevin Prosch (tracks 1 and 5 on Even So Come/1991) and the song Spirit of the Sovereign Lord with Andy Park (track 13 on Worship Festival Live/1992) and even the recent song In Jesus' Name with Darlene Zschech (track 4 on Revealing Jesus/2013). Each of those moments contained not just the excellence of music and song, but something of a poignant encounter.

It is this kind of thing that comes to mind when listening to the new album "Jesus Culture with Martin Smith: Live from New York". This recording is as much about great moments as it is about great music or gifted artists/leaders. Veteran artist, songwriter and worship leader Martin Smith takes the front seat (leading 7 of the 16 tracks) in this worship experience vibrantly paired with the energy and passion of musicians and leaders of Jesus Culture- Kim Walker-Smith and Chris Quilala (with a single track featuring Derek Johnson).

The album kicks off with Martin Smith leading his new song Fire Never Sleeps, a classic Delirious/U2-sounding rock tune that ambles along through its punctuated rhythms of the verse into melodic long notes in a glorious chorus that rings out:

Burn, oh my soul, set me on fire
Burn, oh my soul, light up the fire
Burn, oh my soul 

Smith, in his writing, vocal passions and lyrical throw-offs, presses the heart of the message, inviting the gathering of thousands of young people to set their hearts and passions on fire with passion for God. A great song with lots of energy reflecting the lyrics.  Track two is driving rock song, this time written and led by Chris Quilala, called Forever. Building through several repetitions of declaration ("forever, I am Yours") and surrender ("All that I have is Yours") the song launches into guitar solos and choruses, until it completes, leading into the somber intro of Pursuit, the third track on this album. This song, written by Daniel Bashta, is led by Kim Walker-Smith, whose clear voice and passion is paired with Martin Smith in a duo unlike many others I've heard on a worship album. This song is a bright gem on this recording, as the two leaders defer to each other throughout the sections of the song, alternatively leading and backing each other up. Beautiful, powerful and anthemic- a model for the kind of cooperative leadership of the church of Jesus in which our voices blend in harmony with one another to produce a gift that can be more than the sum of its parts. One gets the sense that the Holy Spirit was leading this song as much as Walker and Smith, as during the ebb of the song you can hear the congregation refraining over top of the slow rolling of chords in the interlude.

Kim Walker-Smith leads out on track four, the song Walk With Me, a song written by members of the band One Sonic Society (Garrard, Ingram, Mabury, Thatcher).  This song is perfect for Walker-Smith, who presents the prayerful verses as plaintiffly (I have to make up words sometimes) as she does the surrendering chorus and the pounding bridge.  As the song goes into an interlude around 5:10 of the song, we encounter one of those moments of grace in which the lyrics are as much prayer as they are "ab libs". Beautiful. This continues through this extended song, whose 8 and a half minutes seem to go by quickly for the engaged worshiper.

Martin Smith returns to lead track five, Waiting Here For You, a perfectly titled and needed song for our "on-demand" culture. The music, tempo and arrangement of this song is rightly pulled back to starting off as a simple piano ballad. Kim Walker-Smith joins back in, complimenting Smith's soft voice. Their vocal textures combine nicely, and eventually bring the song to a percolating flow, as electric guitar riffs drive the song into a stadium anthem, with the thousands year old refrain of "Alleluia" repeated in glory and resonance amidst the 14000 worshipers to the grand audience of One. The worshipers keep the refrain going a cappella until Martin Smith returns by singing the chorus in Spanish, vividly presenting an audible metaphor for the scriptural truth that we will one day sing together from "every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb." (Rev 7:9)  This transitions seamlessly into Martin Smith's song Our God Reigns, another track that ebbs and flows with ease through music and refrains without sounding tired. Martin Smith's spoken encouragements are well placed, well-received and cause explosive worship among the worshipers. Again, the track leads through ebb and flow, somber and joyful times, even including an extended time of waiting at the end of track 7 (another Smith tune Song of Solomon).

Each track on this project has a unique footprint. Poignant moments appear from congregational voices echoing over the music to long notes of guitar solos and other times of pounding drums and anthemic declarations. I could go through the entire song list and explain great moments, but it is best for you to simply get this project and set it in your playlist. The two hours of music on this double CD live recording is a wonderful journey to join in with!

Some tracks to look for new songs that you may not be aware of are track 7- Set A Fire, track 8- Alleluia, track 12- Holy Spirit, and track 16 - Did Your Feel The Mountains Tremble. You may well have heard these songs before, but if you haven't I strongly encourage you to take a listen to these. Excellent songs and vibrant versions of each of them, showing how they can be done live with great effect.

If you are a worshiper, enjoy rock style music, and love "live" worship, this recording may well become one of your favorite in recent memory. Filled with great anthems and alive with engaging moments, it is well worth buying the entire album to experience the entire journey this album takes.

For churches using WorshipTeam.com, all of the songs, chord charts, lyrics and audio from this album are already available and pre-loaded for you in the WorshipTeam.com system song database. In fact, to the best of our knowledge WorshipTeam.com is currently the only place yet to have any charts from this album! 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/140onC3

Review by Kim Gentes

It is no hyperbole to say that Jesus Culture and Kim Walker-Smith have become a powerful new voice in the sound of worship to the new generation and the "modern" church's musical liturgy. So, when I heard that Kim was going to be releasing a solo album, I was interested. Even though I often have the opportunity to get "free" product to evaluate popular worship resources/CDs, I almost always end up buying my own copies of things, because like many of you, I want to know if I feel like the money I spent was worth it. I am delighted to say that Kim's new album, "Still Believe", comes in very strong. It's not only worth the money, its worth your attention.

Having heard the previous Jesus Culture albums, I knew that her passionate vocals were her signature. My assumption was that it would be those impassioned vocals that would take over a solo album as well. I was right. And wrong. Yes, her vocals, with all their presence and passion rip through these songs with both peace and power- fitting them with the proper aspect as the song demanded.  But also, no, in that Kim moves from just being a great voice to being a promising songwriter. On "Still Believe", Kim steps in with a surprising ability to write and present songs that are fresh, inviting and actually thoughtful.

The album kicks off with "Alive", a note pounding declaration that resounds with

"We will make Him known, Jesus is alive. He's alive!
We will shout it out, Jesus is alive! He's alive!"

The first track, written by Gabe Kossol and Jeremy Edwardson, comes across very strong, intentional and engaging. This is a great launch pad for the album. Praising God and declaring the resurrection truth is focused and yet celebratory. I love it!

The next song is written by Chris McClarney (author of "Your Love Never Fails") and others. "Waste It All" has quickly become one of my favorite "surrender" songs. Lyrically, it is a musical interpretation of Matthew 26:6-13 (woman pouring perfume on Jesus) in the first person. Every time the chorus rings out I find myself surrendering once again.

Track three continues the very hopeful, God-ward and personal language of all the songs in this album. "The King is Here" is new song written by Kim and Christa Black, this one exclaiming that God is here among us, He is present and we can rely on His being present and rejoice in that same reality. As much a song of faith as praise, this song takes our attention clearly from the far off God who watches us to the very present King who is in our midst. Again, focused, clear and powerfully delivered. Love it!

"Yield My Heart" settles back into a gentle brushes/cadence and Kim Walker-Smith opens up in first person language confessing, "I yield my heart to You."  Again, coupling surrender and declaration, this song feels like a simple prayer, straight out of the ethos and language of the Davidic Psalms. And this is what endears you to this album- her intense focus on Christ, clearly at the expense of exposing her own vulnerability as she unrelentingly sings out these songs.

Tracks 5 and 6 are a live version of the Tim Hughes (et al) song "Spirit Break Out" and a spontaneous tag that extends out through an entire track. To be sure, almost every song on this album has a tag and impromptu segment that takes each song to a personal and "uncorked" expression from this worship leader to God, with all of us carried along in the tow of real worship. This song is a very well written re-examination of the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6) that links that prayer to the release of the Holy Spirit across mankind and history. A beautiful prayer and offering. Walker-Smith doesn't leave the song to the text given by the songwriters. She expands on it with her own passion, ad libs and unguarded confessions of need to be overflowing with the presence of Christ, His love and His character.

The title track "Still Believe" carves a beautiful melodic understanding of the atonement found in Christ's blood and the sufficiency it establishes for all those who believe. Maybe one of the most focused songs on the blood of Christ that I have come across. Without compromise, Kim declares that the blood of Christ is the center of what grace and provision is available for all Christians. Again, I am very impressed with the focus and articulation that this young writer has by keeping the text to one topic on any given song. A song well worth listening to for anyone looking for great new songs in your local church.

The next track is a cover of Martin Smith & Stu Garrard's "Miracle Maker", done with both lilt and power. Not a song that is easily done in most churches, but a gorgeously presented declaration of the Revelation text that appears in chapter 1 and 4 "who was and is and is to come". The final song (called "Healing Oil" by Chris Lizotte) is a jubilation of thankfulness that launches Kim Walker-Smith into an overture of refrains. She is singing out, at the top of her lungs, declaring that she wouldn't trade another lifetime for the reality of God's presence being there, right now.

And that highlights precisely why I LOVE this album. Kim Walker-Smith refuses to be afraid of singing songs that are either well articulated theology ("Still Believe" and "Alive") or "in the moment" passion ("Waste It All" and "Healing Oil"). It is that edge of unguarded evocation that makes the album feel like a breath of fresh wind on the landscape of "prescribed" worship music productions which are often addled by so much musical and theological care they leave true passion off the recording.  This needn't be so. And Kim Walker-Smith proves it.

I loved this album. You will too. Really.

For churches using WorshipTeam.com, all 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.

There is no substitute for passion. You can create sounds, play music and mimic emotion. But real passion comes through in a way that goes beyond all those. If I had to sum up Daniel Bashta's work on his new project "The Invisible", the word would be- passion.

A breathy pop voice, energetic motion in the arrangements and inventive twists throughout the album brings Bashta's ideas of reaching for the ear of God onto the audio canvas of the ten tracks of this album. Lyrically, Daniel almost completely relies on first person language in his prayer-like songs. Only one song is sung in the third person (the title track) and this is revealing. Bashta's passion for a person-to-Person connection with his Creator bleeds all over the prayers, thanks and declarations in this collection. Even anthems of invitation in which Bashta calls us all to join his call to worship with "we all cry holy" in Behold the Lamb, he returns to first person prayer language :

Yours is the kingdom Yours is the power

Yours is the glory forever and ever

Yours is the kingdom Yours is the power

Yours is the glory forever amen

Many of the songs on the album are inviting for church use.  The arrangements used on most of them build in ascending steps (it almost becomes a predictable pattern on this project), but all are welcoming to local church use, (as with so many high production worship albums today) if not in perhaps simplified form. Some great songs on this album are "I Want It All", "Let Hope In", and "Behold the Lamb". But my absolute favorite was the title track "Praise the Invisible"- its hard not to love the reimagining of the invisible, immortal and incarnate language glorifying the Trinity as Father, Spirit, Son. Great historic language as part of a powerful surrender to the Holy God.

Stylistically, this album scans a wide but enjoyable range- from symphonic swells to acoustic guitar drones to scattered banjo picking to piano driven ballads to hand clapping living rooms of worshipers. But it all feels real, fits the songs and creates focus towards the listener pointing their hearts to heaven. This is a very, very good album, and honestly, it surprised me. I was expecting something eclectic, but did not expect something accessible. 

For churches using WorshipTeam.com, all 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/14C8bE4

worshiping Him!

Review by Kim Gentes

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

[Free Song Download "My Soul Longs" from Jeremiah Carlson- see at the bottom of the review.]

My Foundation is the latest release from Vineyard Worship. The project is a live recording from its recent Cultivation Generation young adult conference held in Boise, ID.  The house band for the event has been The Neverclaim, a youth rock worship group led by Jeremiah Carlson, who forms the foundation of the sound and track contributions on this album. And that is a good thing.

Carlson takes the vocals on both the lead track and three others, giving a musical style and thematic bent that is reminiscent of Jesus Culture and Forerunner/IHOP (Kansas City) music. Stylistically, electric guitar driven rock ballads set the stage for a mixture of eschatologically centered lyrics ("my soul longs for the coming of the Risen Lord") and triumphalist refrains ("with a shout sin is finished, death and sin have been defeated. Now we stand victorious"). Tracks with the Neverclaim nod to similarities not only to the aforementioned, Jesus Culture, but hints of Hillsong United, and Planetshakers breakthrough with a touch of Mumford & Sons thrown in to stir up the mix.

The remainder of the tracks are led by worship leaders Stephen Lampert, David Linhart, Jesse Meyer and Anabeth Morgan.

The album starts powerfully with Carlson calling out "My Soul Longs", and the song rings out like an invitation for every heart to set it's desire on "the coming of the risen Lord". The second track, pounds out the declaration "How great" and "Love has come, love has won" as Lampert leads the song with low verses and a charging chorus (track 7 does something similar stylistically as Jesse Meyer leads). "God Don't Never Change", the third track, is a decided change of gears with blues/rock/island fusion that vamps into about four more gears of urban gospel/rock styling and vocals, always keeping a connection with the worshiping congregation singing right along with them.

The title track "My Foundation" is goes to yet another pace, but is a welcome respite to tranquil and worshipful waters, led by Anabeth Morgan whose vocals and meandering style remind us of the approach of Kim Walker (Jesus Culture) which can start with pensive humming that eventually vamps to pounding anthems with 2 bar notes. Track five is a return to Vineyard Music stamped "Roots Music" feel with its Americana/west coast country sound. The tracks continue on with great diversity and worshipful approach.

To wrap this review, I will call out two of my favorite songs from this project. The last track is a modern revision of Kevin Prosch's now classic "They That Wait On The Lord". Appropriately led by the vocal soring of Carlson and the Neverclaim, energy and congregational joy bubble up through the ebb and flow of the nearly 7 minute track. Very cool and a great revisit to a song that deserves a fresh look for this generation.

My absolute favorite song on this project lands on track eight, where Morgan's beautiful, yet powerful, voice guides us in language from the book of Revelation. This is the most pensive song on the twelve track contribution, but it is so grooved, so inviting, so heartfelt, you will fall into worship of the worthy Lord as you are led from section to section! And even in this song, a deep groove develops in the chorus and you will find yourself with hands lifted high singing "Worthy are You Lord to receive all the honor and glory!"

I really enjoyed this album from Vineyard Worship. While it's origins are youthful, the songs are largely congregational for any modern worship centered church. There is much to investigate on this project, but be sure not to miss tracks 1, 2, 8 and 12 which, in my opinion, are ready candidates for fresh winds of worship for your local church.

Additionally, our friends at Vineyard Music have also granted us permission to give you access to the audio and chord chart for the song "My Soul Longs" as a free download for a limited time directly here, so you will find it below.

worshiping Him!

Kim Gentes

Free Song Download "My Soul Longs" from Jeremiah Carlson