Say It - Jordan Feliz

Say it with boldness and grace!

Say It
Jordan Feliz
Label: Centricity Music
Length: 13 songs/44 minutes

Say It by Jordan Feliz opens beautifully with a gospel choir, organ and hand claps uniting on the refrain, “We know, He’s coming back (we know, we know).” What a glorious start!

With the birth of Jesus music in the sixties, songs about the second coming of Christ were common. That trend seemed to fall out of favor some time ago. It’s refreshing to immediately find such a dynamic opening track on that subject. I can’t help feeling more hopeful ever time I hear it. It speaks to our time in the musical language of today, “When the world gets complicated/We gonna keep on celebrating, ’cause we know (yeah, we know)/Jesus is coming back, Jesus is coming back.” Strings jump for joy, pause, and leap again. It’s bold in an R&B/gospel context.

It reminds me of the lament of a late friend who suffered from mental illness. He came to faith in the Jesus movement, and once confided that he was discouraged about how seldom people spoke about the second coming and spiritual things in general. He was starving for fellowship.

If he was still here, I would want him to hear this song. He was a fan of Feliz’s early hit, “The River.”

“Next to Me” is driven by a thumping bass line accented by rock flourishes. “You put the “X” on my faded map,” Feliz sings, in apparent reference to the old phrase “X” marks the spot. “Draw me a line back to where you’re at;” not stated as a request but as something that God does. In other words, God marks the spot and reveals the way back.

“Wounds” is another fitting song for a time when so many have experienced some form of abuse. It’s a gentle piano ballad where the speaker asks, “Would you believe me if I said you’re not beyond repair?/Would you believe me if I told you that I’ve been right there?” The singer offers himself as proof that “His love heals wounds.” I can’t help thinking that many who have suffered from sexual predators may find comfort and encouragement in this song.

Just thinking about these first three tracks, you find themes of revival, repentance and restoration. Great companions and a beautiful way to start an album.

“Glorify” is bold with a strong gospel chorus and the sound of what might be a Hammond B3 organ. It’s what musicians like Steve Winwood and Bill Champlin play so well. Two extra versions of this track are included, one with Lecrae and Hulvey testifying in rap. The other features Toby Mac and Terrian. Each is a little different but anchored by the same powerful chorus.

I appreciate the confession in the “Real Me.”

I love me when I’m not me
I love me when I’m not me
Photoshop when I’m ugly
Autotune when I sing off key

Feliz is surely not alone in valuing his ideal self rather than the real one, which God sees and loves. The sentiments fit perfectly with an off-kilter rhythm driven by the percussion. Anyone struggling with a sense of failure might find comfort here.

“Only Love” is a song of deliverance that rocks with a picturesque opening line, “It’s a prison break/From the dark days I’ve wandered and waited.” I normally prefer the modern reference to the Spirit but like how the old English translation sounds in this line: “Heard the sound of walls coming down/I know it what the Holy Ghost.”

C. S. Lewis wrote, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” That thought is enshrined in “Another World.” It’s an atmospheric mid-tempo longing for heaven.

I appreciate the bridge to the chorus on the title track.

I don’t mean to stress nobody out
But I won’t stand by and do nothin’
I don’t mean to bring nobody down

I hear a graciousness that is inviting. How we need more of it in our day. It’s more explanation than apology. “For Christ’s love compels us” (2 Corinthians 5:14a), the apostle Paul writes. Jeremiah says, “If I say, ‘I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,’ than there is a burning fire in my bones, and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot” (Jeremiah 20:9 ESV). Jordan Feliz application, “Say it!”

Aaron Cole’s rap blends seamlessly with the other vocals. The R&B resolve and voices blending on the high notes of the chorus make it seem resplendent with light.

No desire to offend, “just had to say it … If the name of Jesus ain’t lifted up, then who needs us.”

A Seed, A Sunrise - Caroline Cobb

Cathartic in a time of grief

A Seed, A Sunrise

Caroline Cobb
Label: Independent
Length: 7 songs/32 minutes

The first two songs on A Seed, A Sunrise by Caroline Cobb embody watching and waiting, a pining for Messiah’s coming. The lyrics and the plodding piano notes convey the bleakness of our fallen world on the opening “We Wait For You.” Those looking for popular holiday classics will not find them here. These are originals suffused with biblical references and poetic expression.

The scope is amazing. It’s not just a profound meditation of the first advent. It also looks forward to when Christ will come again. Now more than ever that can be a comfort and hope.

Don’t imagine all of this in a lower key. The third track, “Hallelujah, Christ is Born” breaks the spell of the long dark night of waiting. Cobb gets soulful and there is a joyful-sounding piano solo.

The next track, “Joy (As Far as the Curse is Found)” has an exciting rhythm that continually builds to a wonderful piano hook. You also get some gorgeous mandolin accents. Some of Cobb’s favorite lines from “Joy to the World” and “O, Come All Ye Faithful” are refashioned here.

The sound is that of real instruments, people playing live in the studio. Any electronic enhancement is in the background. The style is in keeping with producer Isaac Wardell’s past credits (Josh Garrels, Sandra McCracken).

Contributors include Tyler Chester (Madi Cunningham, Switchfoot), Andrew Osenga (Andrew Peterson, Caedmon’s Call) gospel trio Resound (Lauren Daigle) and a fourteen-piece string orchestra.

The broad content makes this something that can be enjoyed any time of the year. It is also applicable to this particular time characterized in part by exhaustion. As Episcopal priest Noah Van Niel writes in Plough Quarterly (Autumn 2020), “We long for heaven while we are on earth. We long for peace in a world of war. We long for justice in a world that continually frustrates those aims. We long for God yet meet him only sparingly.… And Saint Augustine once wrote, ‘The whole life of a good Christian is an holy desire,’ because ‘by longing, you are made capable…. God by deferring our hope, stretches our desire; by the desiring, stretches the mind; by stretching, makes it more capacious. Let us desire therefore, brethren, for we shall be filled.’” Holy desire permeates this recording. Prepare to be enlarged!

Some songs express lament in the suffering of waiting, while others offer glimpses of joy in the anticipation of God’s coming. It can be cathartic in this time of grief.

The last three songs bring this full circle. “Lift Up Your Head, Be on the Lookout” is a gentle exhortation to be ready in anticipation of Christ’s coming again, to finish the work he has given us to do. “O Righteous Branch” includes gorgeous steel guitar work. It’s plea, “Come soon.” “There Will Be a Day (Isaiah 2)” is built around simple, repeated piano notes that serve as the foundation for a song about the future millennial kingdom.

The styles are simple but rich musically and spiritually, making this one of the finest offerings of the year.

This is Cobb’s third recording following the Blood + the Breath (2013) and A Home & A Hunger (2017). Like this release they both take a deep dive into Scripture unearthing treasures to remind fellow sojourners of their heritage and calling.

Reorder EP - Jason Gray

Falling apart never sounded so good

Reorder EP
Jason Gray
Label: Centricity Music
Length: 7 songs/26 minutes

How many can turn a song about longing for what was into a celebration of what is? Such is the case on “Glory Days” on Reorder, the latest from Jason Gray. It may be the most outstanding track on an EP filled with excellent music and lyrics.

This is the third and final part of a series of recordings, which can be purchased separately or bundled together as Order Disorder Reorder. Even though I have yet to hear the first two, on the basis of this and my knowledge of Gray’s past releases, I recommend getting all three together. One reviewer said that Order Disorder Reorder is Gray’s best album. I believe it! He has always been an above average songwriter and what you find here is among his finest work. It’s amazing how much wisdom he can put in a well-crafted pop song.

In “Glory Days” he writes about falling apart as if it is the best thing that has ever happened:

These are my glory days
Busted and broken, but finally open
Wider than an empty grave
This is the good life now
Found it where I fell down
Shattered in pieces, but thank you Jesus

I want to laugh out loud about these upside down values of Jesus. Hard times have never sounded so good! I don’t wish them on anyone but if your way is difficult trying making this your soundtrack. You just might find hope rising as you hear a refreshing perspective on brokenness.

“Glory Days” has a playful, keyboard-driven, joyous hand clap sound. It might fall like a number of these songs into a slightly indie/alternative pop category.

I hear a distinct progression musically from Gray’s early days. The programmed elements, particularly percussion, have given him a fuller, more sophisticated sound. It also creates a bit of quirkiness, which fits well with the lyrics. The technology is just right, not overwhelming the acoustic.

For those who might like his earlier folk side, the fourth track, “Tethered,” is little more than Gray and an acoustic guitar. It’s a beautiful centerpiece. It seems to reference Psalm 139, highlighting his unbreakable connection with God’s love.

This artist is no stranger to vulnerability and those moments are no less striking on this release. On “Bring it All” he sings, “Look at me up on the stage/You’d never know how I’m so afraid.” He battles with fear again on “Right On Time”:

Lying on the bathroom floor in tears
Praying for a miracle to come and meet me here
I was afraid it was too late

I note that this song as well as the others with the exception of “Tethered” are co-writes with different individuals. I don’t know their involvement but the lyrics fit with what I know of Jason Gray.

Is God ever late? Gray answers in “Right On Time” by singing of pivotal moments.

What about regret? In “Every Moment Belongs” Gray identifies the theme of this release:

I wouldn’t be who I am now
Without the way that its all played out

What comfort! What assurance! What we are now is more important than our past.

 

Reason Deluxe - Unspoken

Feeling the Son after four seasons of winter

Reason Deluxe
Artist: Unspoken
Label: Centricity Music
Length: 12 tracks/40:50 minutes

How is it that so much of what I review seems so applicable to the times? Even when as in this case the original release is pre-COVID. The opening to Revelation Deluxe by Unspoken may speak for many:

This year’s felt like four seasons of winter
And you’d give anything to feel the sun
…
When you feel like giving up
When you feel like giving in
His love is the reason
To keep on believing

Perhaps it’s the work of the Spirit taking the artist’s work and making it relevant and applicable in a multitude of ways. God uses actions beyond our awareness. When a woman anointed Jesus she had no idea that it was to prepare him for burial.

September marks National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. With the foundations of our society shaken by cataclysmic events, it’s good to spotlight the help available. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is as near as a call to 1-800-273-8255.

It may be a small thing, but I hear lots of encouragement on this release. It’s almost like it was made for such a time as this.

Thankfully, this does not advocate a white-knuckle approach to making life better. It’s more akin to the lovely book title, Try Softer, by Aundi Kolber. The lyrics don’t gloss over the seriousness of our condition; they just point to finding hope in a relationship with God. If it all depends on us we are at the extreme end of the infamous San Francisco 49er doom index. How doomed? Last place finish doomed. Fortunately, Jesus makes reversals possible where the last become first.

For each look at ourselves that the songs provide, we get a corresponding glimpse of the work of Christ. This is a recipe for hope: less seeing inward, more looking at Christ.

The choruses are accessible, anthemic and like an ocean swell of truth. “Just give me Jesus” being one of a number of examples of the crystallizing of desire.

Reason Deluxe has sobering moments. I hope that those of us who are Christians are not so callous as to dismiss the following chorus as cliché and not worthy of serious application:

If we’re gonna be known for something
Let it be love, love, love
Speaking the truth means nothing
Without love, love, love
’Cause no one’s gonna hear us
If we keep throwing stones

 As others have pointed out we have become known more for what we are against. It seems like we are far removed from the sentiment expressed in the old folk song “they’ll know we our Christians by our love.” It’s never too late, however, to become more like the early church that was known for its compassion and charity.

The blend of acoustic and electronic on the original release is near perfection. The extra tracks include a couple of live songs that are more raw and rugged than the mostly R&B leaning sounds. One is a nine minute medley, the other, the blues oriented “Bury the Workman,” has a sound similar to “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi. These live songs definitely show a more rock oriented side of the band.

Another part of the deluxe release is “One Step,” which testifies to overcoming addiction. The three other songs consist of two remixes and an acoustic version of “You’ve Always Been,” which I might favor over the original.

The combination of vulnerable disclosures with biblical truth is powerful. “Mistakes” expresses the desire for God to use our own failures for his glory. If the following is true how can we ever go wrong?

Every wrong turn, it’s true
Led me right hear to you
I may lose my way, nothing’s greater than your grace
Not even my mistakes

The melody is borne along by acoustic guitar, programmed percussion and a lighthearted feel. There is also a sprinkling of high-pitched keys. Whimsical? Yes, a true delight.

This is and “Wasted Time” are such a lovely way to close this release. This is also acoustic, being a gentle homage to God making up for our waywardness and brokenness. What could be better than that?

Birmingham Revolution: Martin Luther King Jr's Epic Challenge to the Church - Edward Gilbreath

“Governments … controlled by men are without exception anti-life and anti-Christ.”

Birmingham Revolution: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Epic Challenge to the Church
Author: Edward Gilbreath
Publisher: IVP Books
Pages: 210

In the prologue to Birmingham Revolution, author Edward Gilbreath writes, “There are two race-related facts about our nation’s founding that we cannot get around. First, Native Americans, the original inhabitants of the territory that eventually would become the United States, were usurped from the land by a combination of force and political deceit” (12). This reminds me of something the late singer/songwriter Rich Mullins said in an interview, “I’m very hurt over the determination of the government to destroy life and its not simply over the abortion issue. Anyone who has any awareness at all of Wounded Knee, not only the first Wounded Knee but what happened there, what 20 years ago … You kinda go, there can be no doubt that governments that are controlled by men are without exception anti-life and anti-Christ.”

This startling observation also applies to the second race-related fact. “For the first eight-nine years of its official existence, the United States was a nation whose growth and prosperity was dependent on African and African American slave labor” (13). Sadly, in both cases, it’s not hard to see how the government has been on the wrong side of issues.

Readers like me who are white gain insight into the perspective of an African American author like Gilbreath. His research and judicious use of facts are excellent. He succeeds admirably in giving a succinct, readable account of pivotal events in Alabama and the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which formed the basis of the Civil Rights movement. If readers are unschooled in these issues or need a refresher course, this is a helpful place to start.

I suppose that it’s difficult for anyone to be completely free of bias, but I don’t detect an agenda. There is no anger or hatred in his voice. He tells the story with wisdom from above that is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere (James 3:17). This is helpful in that you could give this book to anyone, and if they are open to truth, they can find it.

The book highlights the importance of Letter from Birmingham Jail, where King writes, “If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity … and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club” (16). Alvin Sanders, and African American who is the executive director of reconciliation in the Evangelical Free Church of America, framed it this way, “In the Letter from Birmingham Jail he (King) put the African American struggle squarely as part of the process of authentic discipleship. He believed the fight for justice was an essential mark of the gospel” (16-17).

Even though this was published in 2013 it speaks to the civil unrest of our day. It was one of several digital books on racism that IVP made available for free in July of 2020.

My eye was on this title. I became familiar with the author through his former association with CT magazine and an encounter over a reflection that I wrote about Jimi Hendrix. Gilbreath volunteered to edit it for another publication. He took my feeble efforts to another level and for that his name should be added. You can find the article here.

I will never forget that kindness, and it was a wonderful surprise to find a fellow believer who could appreciate Hendrix.

It’s hard to believe that we as a people and nation can be so cruel and callous. The events described in this book actually happened. I wonder how King would react to what we see today. Gilbreath would be a good one to ask. Some of his response might come from these pages. This is an excellent resource to remind us of where our nation has been and how we might proceed in the future. Let’s continually come down on the side of life, the way Christ has shown. It was said of him, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory” (Matthew 12:21).

Him - Perry LaHaie

God did not design us for suffocating spaces but for running in the fields.

Him
Perry LaHaie
Label: Independent release
Length: 9 songs/39 minutes

 If the follower of Christ is not careful, the hardships in life can lead us to turn inward. Our perspective shrinks. Instead of glorious liberty, there is confinement. In place of broad ground, we may feel precarious on a narrow patch. As Sandra McCracken writes in a recent CT column, “God did not design us for suffocating spaces.… We are made to run in the fields …”

It’s this expansive vision that animates the classic hymns in Him by Perry LaHaie. It does so by judiciously adding words and music that broadens their meaning. They don’t become so different that they are unrecognizable. They retain their essential elements but become grander in scope.

The electric instrumentation is pivotal. Some of the guitar chords are stretched out creating an expansive sound. It’s not heavy but this will be a stretch for those who favor traditional interpretations.

LaHaie succeeds admirably in updating these hymns in a way that makes them more like songs. It’s not unlike what some others have done recently. If you’re not a purist and can handle light rock, this is worth exploring. I’m grateful that artists like LaHaie are willing to creatively engage with ancient texts, adding to them or even creating new compositions that carry on this tradition.

The opening “Cast Yourself In” is an original written by LaHaie. This majestic anthem sets the stage, calling listeners to cast themselves into the river of God “that flows to the nations.” The nations! This is a key theme. These songs go beyond personal piety. The world is in view.  

Even the following classic, retitled “Amazing Grace (Send Me)” has outreach in mind:

Amazing grace, compels me now, to share this love so free
So those not told will finally hear, so that the blind will see
The pris’ner be set free

The foundation is the traditional arrangement finger-picked on electric guitar.

“O Mystery of Mysteries,” another written by LaHaie and family members, could pass for an obscure hymn. It has that kind of structure and tells the “story of God” from the incarnation to Christ’s return to establish his kingdom.

“The Solid Rock” has never sounded so powerful. The added chorus soars on the back of modern rock. I am an advocate for purchasing albums rather than individual songs, but if I could only have one from this release, this is it.

“There is a Fountain” has a driving rhythm, “like a steam locomotive, rollin’ down the track.” Once again the evangelistic element is introduced, “This river will rush on till every nation sings the song.” The river! The nations! This life encompasses the world.

The guitar on the closing “O Come O Come Emmanuel” creates a soundscape of lament. But this adaptation becomes more than pining for Christ’s advent.

But how long until you come again, bring evil’s final end, and justice finally wins?
How long till heaven comes to stay, and all nations shout your praise, when not yet will be no more?

The subdued tone on the keyboard driven “God is Working His Purpose Out” is mesmerizing. I like the subdued tone. Towards the end the message is striking:

So, spend your life to work His work, to speed the king’s decree
To usher in the nations praise, the reign of the prince of peace
Pour out your life to hasten the time, the time that will surely be
When the earth will be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea

This is the thrust of the release. It’s a counterpoint to all that drives us inward. It beckons toward that broad place where we run in the fields.

Selah EP - Tori Harper

The beauty of unrealized service

Selah EP
Tori Harper
Label: Awaken Saint Records and The Fuel Music
Length: 4 tracks/16 minutes

On Selah Tori Harper sounds utterly broken when she sings the chorus of “The Wreck,”

Where are you Lord? Where are your Lord?
In the middle of the mess
Lord show me how, to live faith out
In the middle of the wreck
In the middle of the wreck

I can hear the sadness. Those who are questioning and grieving might find comfort in it being voiced with a haunting keyboard-driven melody.

In reflecting on his latest book, God and the Pandemic, Bible scholar N. T. Wright sees lament as a suitable response to grief. In naming her release Selah, might Harper be pondering losses and pouring out her heart to God?

It’s what she does from the opening lines:

I’ve made a mess of things,
And broken my own heart
What’s left of me,
Is wounded and scarred
And lesser things, wouldn’t leave such a mark
But I believe, there’s hope in the dark

Like many of the Psalms in the Bible, it grieves but leaves room for hope. 

I find it fascinating that in living faithfully, we can be unaware of how God might use our service. A woman in Scripture was criticized by others for anointing Jesus with expensive perfume, but Christ said, “she has done it to prepare me for burial” (Matthew 26:12b). In making this recording Harper probably never imagined its relevance in expressing grief and hope during tumultuous times.

It doesn’t hurt that like Harper’s voice, the music on this EP is soothing. It’s consistently keyboard-driven and embellished with a seamless mix of organic and synthesized sounds. 

Often the intensity builds to a crescendo that ends with quiet sparse notes. Their is a judicious use of strings that lends an elegance and dignity. This is ornate pop. 

In “Resurrect” Harper argues from the greater to the lesser as is found in Scripture:

If you can walk on water
If you can make the blind see
If you can raise from the ashes
You can resurrect me

In the next line I hear the joy of discovery in her voice, “And I’ve tried to find how to get the life but you’ve been here all along.” It reminds me of A. W. Tozer’s thought that we often ask God to do what he has already done. We may feel abandoned but God is with us.

The buoyant melody is a delight, so that even though lament is present, there is also praise. Like the Psalms these tracks run the gamut of emotions. Each one is addressed to God, providing an opportunity to worship in different ways.

Fans of hip hop will hear a familiar rhythm in “Hiding Place.” Whereas the strings on “Closer Than” bear a classical influence. Its whimsical nature making it a fitting close.

This is the twenty-one-year-old’s second EP. Seasons debuted in 2018, generating several charting singles. In addition to co-writing with Cindy Morgan, Mia Fieldes and others, she has sung background vocals for Chris Tomlin and Tenth Avenue North.