Turn Those Speakers Up!!!
In an effort to make this a fairly well-rounded blog (and since I love music) I decided to post my own mini reviews of some recent releases. I'm also definitely open to any suggestions readers might have about music I should check out too, so let me know!
* Todd Agnew - "Better Questions": I got the opportunity to see Todd Agnew in concert this summer and I was already a fan of his music. It's not the typical soccer-mom music that gets a lot of play on the radio, but it features a lot of blues and rock elements and I think it's a good mix...plus his voice is really cool. I think the best thing about Todd Agnew, though, is his songwriting: a lot of it is very well-done, challenging, and introspective...and at the concert I learned he doesn't really mince words either. I like that. His newest CD "Better Questions" and it deals with just that: a lot of questions about faith, life, and the Church in general...things like "If Jesus said to love everyone, then why do churches treat divorced people differently?" Wow. The album talks about issues with faith, reaching others, and leaning on God for everything. It starts out with a prelude that simply says, "I've got better questions than I have answers, better dreams than I have plans / I got better thoughts than I have actions, so I built my house on what I thought was solid ground, but I know it could be sand..." It sets the tone for the CD, which challenges us as Christians to look at ourselves as individuals and as the Church and what we sit back and simply accept. The opener "Still Has a Hold" speaks a volume of truth in a bluesy/country way with the chorus of "Sometimes I'm on the mountain, holding onto Your hand / sometimes I'm in the middle, holding the best I can / sometimes I'm in the valley, and I let go long ago / though my hand is weak and tired, Your Hand still has a hold." Other standout songs for me include "Our Great God", "On a Corner in Memphis", "War Inside", and "Martyr's Song". Give it a listen, pay attention to the words, and let God make you reeeally think.
* Casting Crowns - "The Altar and the Door": This past Friday, Bekah and I got the opportunity to see Casting Crowns play a free concert in Charlotte. Rock on! It was cool because I got to hear singer Mark Hall's testimony of battling dyslexia and ADD...it's amazing how God has worked to make Mark such a great songwriter! I love Casting Crowns because they make music that both worships God and challenges us as Christians, much like Todd Agnew. The new CD is much of the same, encouraging us not to change when we leave church....basically we have these awesome moments at church or at the altar, but once we leave the door, it's all gone. It happens to the best of us! Their new release challenges us to think harder and try harder to bring that victory, that breakthrough out into the world with us. Faithful listeners of Casting Crowns may notice that this CD is different from their past ones and isn't quite as good (in my opinion) as Lifesong...BUT it's still a very good album from the band. The opener "What This World Needs" tells listeners that a hurting world doesn't need glamor or another gimmick, but rather God's love...and it starts with us. It's not about what we look like, but how we do what God wants us to do! "East to West" is another great song reminding us that through Christ, we're forgiven and God has cast our sin SO far away. Praise the Lord! I really like the song "Somewhere in the Middle" because I think it captures a lot of us at some point in our Walk...sometimes we're lax, sometimes we're on fire...but a lot of times, we're stick there in the middle. When you think about it, it's amazing how wishy-washy we can be no matter how hard we try not to be. Overall, "The Altar and the Door" is a good listen and includes an interesting hidden track at the end called "White Dove Fly High".
* The Cross Movement - "History: Our Place in HIS Story": The Cross Movement has been a pioneer of Christian hip-hop for years now, always putting out great music that glorifies God 100%. I'm not a rap junkie or anything, but I can appreciate a good beat, and I remember when Christian rap was sooooo corny...but The Cross Movement came along and developed and discovered some more great rappers and now it's a growing, successful industry, in my opinion. Sadly though, their latest release is to be their last as a group. But I'll say this: if this is their last CD together, they're going out with a BANG. From start to finish, this is a GREAT CD with hot beats, good production, and most imporantly, lyrics that spread the Gospel and give God all the glory! On the opening track "Our God" the guys tell about the God we serve and why they love Him...it's my favorite song on the whole album and I could easily listen to it over and over (and I have...a lot). Another track that I love is called "9-10", which speaks about the complacency we've all slipped into after September 11. On that day, churches were full, people ran to God, everyone was a little bit kinder to one another, etc...but the song talks about how slowly we're forgetting about the meaning of that day and we're living life like it's 9/10. A theme among the CDs I've reviewed today is Challenging the Church...I didn't intend it to be the theme, I guess God intended it that way...but this song will really make you sit down and think about how blessed we are to life through each day, how short life is, and how hard we should be working to reach others. Other standout tracks are "Louder" and "The Last Cypha." Great great CD...if you like hip-hop or know someone who does, pick it up!
* Todd Agnew - "Better Questions": I got the opportunity to see Todd Agnew in concert this summer and I was already a fan of his music. It's not the typical soccer-mom music that gets a lot of play on the radio, but it features a lot of blues and rock elements and I think it's a good mix...plus his voice is really cool. I think the best thing about Todd Agnew, though, is his songwriting: a lot of it is very well-done, challenging, and introspective...and at the concert I learned he doesn't really mince words either. I like that. His newest CD "Better Questions" and it deals with just that: a lot of questions about faith, life, and the Church in general...things like "If Jesus said to love everyone, then why do churches treat divorced people differently?" Wow. The album talks about issues with faith, reaching others, and leaning on God for everything. It starts out with a prelude that simply says, "I've got better questions than I have answers, better dreams than I have plans / I got better thoughts than I have actions, so I built my house on what I thought was solid ground, but I know it could be sand..." It sets the tone for the CD, which challenges us as Christians to look at ourselves as individuals and as the Church and what we sit back and simply accept. The opener "Still Has a Hold" speaks a volume of truth in a bluesy/country way with the chorus of "Sometimes I'm on the mountain, holding onto Your hand / sometimes I'm in the middle, holding the best I can / sometimes I'm in the valley, and I let go long ago / though my hand is weak and tired, Your Hand still has a hold." Other standout songs for me include "Our Great God", "On a Corner in Memphis", "War Inside", and "Martyr's Song". Give it a listen, pay attention to the words, and let God make you reeeally think.
* Casting Crowns - "The Altar and the Door": This past Friday, Bekah and I got the opportunity to see Casting Crowns play a free concert in Charlotte. Rock on! It was cool because I got to hear singer Mark Hall's testimony of battling dyslexia and ADD...it's amazing how God has worked to make Mark such a great songwriter! I love Casting Crowns because they make music that both worships God and challenges us as Christians, much like Todd Agnew. The new CD is much of the same, encouraging us not to change when we leave church....basically we have these awesome moments at church or at the altar, but once we leave the door, it's all gone. It happens to the best of us! Their new release challenges us to think harder and try harder to bring that victory, that breakthrough out into the world with us. Faithful listeners of Casting Crowns may notice that this CD is different from their past ones and isn't quite as good (in my opinion) as Lifesong...BUT it's still a very good album from the band. The opener "What This World Needs" tells listeners that a hurting world doesn't need glamor or another gimmick, but rather God's love...and it starts with us. It's not about what we look like, but how we do what God wants us to do! "East to West" is another great song reminding us that through Christ, we're forgiven and God has cast our sin SO far away. Praise the Lord! I really like the song "Somewhere in the Middle" because I think it captures a lot of us at some point in our Walk...sometimes we're lax, sometimes we're on fire...but a lot of times, we're stick there in the middle. When you think about it, it's amazing how wishy-washy we can be no matter how hard we try not to be. Overall, "The Altar and the Door" is a good listen and includes an interesting hidden track at the end called "White Dove Fly High".
* The Cross Movement - "History: Our Place in HIS Story": The Cross Movement has been a pioneer of Christian hip-hop for years now, always putting out great music that glorifies God 100%. I'm not a rap junkie or anything, but I can appreciate a good beat, and I remember when Christian rap was sooooo corny...but The Cross Movement came along and developed and discovered some more great rappers and now it's a growing, successful industry, in my opinion. Sadly though, their latest release is to be their last as a group. But I'll say this: if this is their last CD together, they're going out with a BANG. From start to finish, this is a GREAT CD with hot beats, good production, and most imporantly, lyrics that spread the Gospel and give God all the glory! On the opening track "Our God" the guys tell about the God we serve and why they love Him...it's my favorite song on the whole album and I could easily listen to it over and over (and I have...a lot). Another track that I love is called "9-10", which speaks about the complacency we've all slipped into after September 11. On that day, churches were full, people ran to God, everyone was a little bit kinder to one another, etc...but the song talks about how slowly we're forgetting about the meaning of that day and we're living life like it's 9/10. A theme among the CDs I've reviewed today is Challenging the Church...I didn't intend it to be the theme, I guess God intended it that way...but this song will really make you sit down and think about how blessed we are to life through each day, how short life is, and how hard we should be working to reach others. Other standout tracks are "Louder" and "The Last Cypha." Great great CD...if you like hip-hop or know someone who does, pick it up!
Labels: Casting Crowns, Christian Music, Christianity, Music, The Cross Movement, Todd Agnew
posted by Chris Perez @ 10:08 AM
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