Lionheart (Deluxe) - Awaken Worship

Declaring truth in worship and warfare

Lionheart (Deluxe)
Awaken Worship
Label: The Fuel Music
Length: 8 songs/40 minutes

Authority. Victory. Deliverance. Power. Identity. All recurring subjects in Lionheart (Deluxe) by Awaken Worship (now Awaken Music).

It starts with the gritty, bayou-sounding “Lionheart.” David and Goliath come to mind when I hear:

You come at me
With a sword but I’ve got a sling
Just one stone is all I need
You’re in for a rude awakening

Swagger is evident in words and style. This personal favorite may be the best track. Musically, it’s the only song that has that rootsy, Southern influence. It reminds me of NEEDTOBREATHE. Not to take away from the rest, which are more typical modern worship.

The shimmering, beautiful pop/rock in “There is Power in Your Name” follows. After the ruggedness of the former this conveys peace.

The first and only male lead vocal follows on “Authority.” In a way this song encompasses all the themes but the melody isn’t as strong as the foregoing, which makes it less appealing. It does, however, succeed in forcefully expressing God’s authority. Mike Yeager, the leader of the group, states that “our church (Awaken Church) is really big on the power of actually speaking out the precepts, promises and principles of God.” They do this repeatedly here and throughout. One small danger is that declarations can be misapplied. On the other hand, this battle emphasis may be a neglected one.

“Fearless” comes next with steady, driving pop/rock. It expresses courage and the power that is in Christ.

The keyboard-driven “We’ve Already Won” elaborates on the truth in the song title. We are seated with Christ in the heavenly places! It has a pensive beginning that builds into an anthem.

Delicate acoustic guitar opens “Sound of Heaven.” Tranquil guitar carries it forward with a lovely female vocal. In a variety of ways it expresses the desire to hear God’s voice.

A piano version of “Authority” with a female lead closes the recording. This is more acoustic and flows a little better than the earlier version, making it preferable to me.

Jaydn Valdez handles most of the lead vocals. Providence Cordell sings lead on two of the tracks. Joel Martinez is the male lead on “Authority.”

Though this can be viewed as spiritual warfare more than anything it’s expressing the believer’s authority in Christ, which is an act of worship.