Jesus Culture “Unstoppable Love” Album Review

Prime Cuts:  Surrendered All (Give You Everything), 10,000 Reasons, Unstoppable Love

When it comes to Jesus Culture, their muses are never second hand.  Through their engaging passion and their ability to create a worshipful entry point into God's throne room, you know that every moment captured on this CD is not manufactured or rehearsed.  Rather, with every live CD they have had released, we are brought right into God's awesome presence.  This is why Jesus Culture is more than just a church band.  They have become a movement teaching young man and women how to worship not only in North America but across the globe.  Based in Sacramento and directed by Banning Liebscher, Jesus Culture is a ministry mobilizing a generation of revivalists and reformers who will shape culture and transform nations.  It was formed with a focus to transform society by bringing people into an encounter with God's love through worship and discipleship. Jesus Culture Music albums capture the heart of this movement.  

"Unstoppable Love" is Jesus Culture's 10th album and their 21st overall project they have had released since their sui genesis. Once again helmed by Jeremy Edwardson (Bethel Live, Kari Jobe, Soulfire Revolution), "Unstoppable Love" was recorded live at Jesus Culture's annual Encounter Conference held in January 14th of this year at the historic Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, California. In keeping with their previous releases, the bulk of the songs here come from the pens of the team with the exception of a notable co-write from Kari Jobe as well as a couple of covers.  However, with this new disc, they have narrowed down the number of lead vocalists to only two: Chris Quilala and Kim Walker-Smith.   

Two things need to be said about this record: first, Jesus Culture has set for all of us a template of how Godly worship ought to done.  Never ones to sacrifice the rich heritage of the Christian musical treasury listen to how the hymn "I Surrender All" is gorgeously interwoven into Chris Quilala-led "Surrendered All (Give You Everything)." With her soaring vocals, Kim Walker-Smith is exemplar of how to sing with abandon.  And she's at her best on the title cut "Unstoppable Love;" pay close attention especially to how she progressively channels our gaze onto God's love that we become transfixed upon it.  Over a backdrop of crisp guitar blasts as well as a 90s synth sound, "We Will Run" shows that Walker-Smith can be just as effective on an accelerated paced number as on a ballad.

The second thing to say about "Unstoppable Love" is that though this is stellar worship effect with amps of staggering sounds, some of the songs are pretty thin as far as lyrical depths go.  "You Made a Way," for instance, consists of only 4 lines yet the song runs for over 5 and a half minutes.  This means there's lots of repetition of the same lines over and over again.  This may work in a live setting, but on CD it can come across as quite irksome.  However, all is forgiven in the light of Kim Walker-Smith's thoughtful and well-teased out rendition of Matt Redman's "10,000 Reasons."

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