Music Reviews

BRAND NEW - Matthew West (Provident Label Group)

/ YEARS AGO, I remember having that moment; you hear an amazing new song on the radio for the first time, and you are paralyzed. You just have to know who is singing. I sat waiting, the radio volume cranked, waiting until the announcer answered my burning question: “That was by new artist Matthew West.”

I was hooked.

West has an incredible knack to write “radio gold” short and snappy pop songs that get stuck in your head. While that may seem like a knock against West, it’s not. It’s the mark of a great artist who knows his craft inside and out.

And incredibly, after more than a dozen albums later, West returns with the same energy and commitment to music ministry as his first album. On ‘What If’, it becomes clear why: “What if today’s the only day I got?/I don’t wanna waste it if it’s my last shot.”

Elsewhere on tracks like, ‘Walking Miracles’ and ‘Too Young Too Soon’ it’s clear West’s focus is not himself; it’s his audience. He’s truly inspired by the work God is doing through his music in other people.

If you’re looking for a safe bet, Matthew West is the easiest recomendation you’ll ever make to friends and family.

PEOPLED WITH DREAMS - John Mark McMillan (2020 John Mark McMillan)

/ JOHN MARK MCMILLAN remains a creative tour de force.

Two decades into his career now, you can’t help but get swept up by his masterful grasp on the craft as he displays it through his lyricism weaving through genres, instruments, and musical techniques pulled from the past and the present.

One track sounds like 70’s pop, another a folk song akin to a Bruce Cobern classic, another a modern worship song, and yet another that sounds like it’s been pulled from the soundtrack to an epic movie.

And then there’s my personal favourite, ‘Pilgrim’ which would feel at home on MTV in the mid-2000s. To be clear, that is a compliment.

What ties everything together is McMillan’s voice which remains iconic, rugged, vulnerable, rumbling and deep. It’s married to imagery that is consistently vivid and apocalyptic, yet a romantic rumination on life and God that stick with you long after the song ends.

As he sings on ‘God is Young’, “God is young and maybe we’re the ones that grow old.”

While many were introducted to McMillan through mega-worship-hit ‘How He Loves,’ there’s so much more to explore in his discography. His latest album is the perfect place to start.

SYMPHONY - Switch (Dream Records)

/ AFTER THE BREAKOUT hit of their EP, Switch returns with their first full album of the same name.

Rounding out the ten tracks are more of the same upbeat, catchy dance-pop fans were introduced to last year.

The secret sauce here is Switch’s four vocalists—two male, two female—that keep each song feeling fresh and different depending on the composition.

Title track, ‘Symphony’ is still just as infectious as it ever was, but the additions here more than live up to the pedigree.

‘Wild’ is a great new addition, opening the album with some bombastic dance beats while painting a startling picture of God’s love, “Like a crash of thunder/Like a river tearing toward the sea/Your love is spilling over/Flooding every desert part of me.”

Elsewhere, new track ‘Overflow’ adds some techno vibes and showcases the vocal prowess of the group.

However, originally formed out of the multicampus Life.Church in Oklahoma, the group’s mission is more than just create popular music. Speaking to CCM, TJ Murrell, who oversees worship and album production at the church, explains: “These songs will help people drown out what doesn’t matter so they can focus on Jesus. Our hope is that they play them in the moments where they feel out of control so they’re reminded of God’s grace.”

/ STEVEN SUKKAU works in radio on the prairies of Southern Manitoba.