LIFE Worship “Speak to the Storm” Album Review

Prime Cuts: Freedom at the Cross, Miracles Happen, Fearless Abandon

Overall Grade: 4.25/5

LIFE Worship knows how to major on the majors on this new project.  Rather than  treating their songs as palettes of spiritualised romantic scribblings where the trite gets the cynosure,  these 13 songs give articulation to some of the most salient doctrines of the church.  In each song, you won't find wasted rhetoric and you won't find innocuous inspirational lyrics crafted to pacify the politically correct.  Rather, in these songs we will push off our comfort zones ("Fearless Abandon"), make us rethink our life's destiny ("Seas of Glass"), and make us preserve through trials with holy confidence ("Breakthrough Here").  In short, this is an album is our sonic companion that will accompany us in the major unravelling of life's events. 

LIFE Worship is the creative sector of LIFE Church, based in Bradford, UK. As a mega-church, they have campuses in Leeds (UK), Belfast, Northern Ireland and Warsaw,Poland. These 12 cuts are penned by members of the LIFE Worship team, providing a musical snapshot of the teaching, spiritual formation and community found at LIFE, which is pastored by Steve and Charlotte Gambill.

"Speak To The Storm" is anchored around three big worship ballads which are the record's awe-inspiring jetties.  The first in this trio of greats is "Miracle Happens." This is an audacious song that steps out with an expectant faith for God to flex his muscles in the most impossible situations. Yet, such powerful displays of God's power never fail to effect change in the hearts of the obedient.  The aforementioned "Fearless Abandon" is the perfect response to how we should to this great miracle God. Rounding off the trio of greats is "Freedom at the Cross."  You can never run out of songs if you sing about the Cross.  "Freedom" is not only sublime in its melody but it has such a holy atmosphere that it keeps drawing us in to worship.

Though the rest of the songs don't have the same spiritual kinetic power, the apocalyptic "Seas of Glass" is worth investigating and singing.  Making the book of Revelation come alive, the song narrates how the throne of God changes how we see our future. This is itself a sermon waiting to be sung.  One gets a little nervous when worship songwriters borrow titles from well-known hymns.  Naturally, this will invite comparisons, and let's just say Thomas Chishom's 19th-Century entry is hard to beat.  "Peace Be Mine," though not terribly original lyrically, is acceptable redeemed by its delightful chorus. 

Though this album is initially released only in the UK, but in this digital age, a large pond of water is no longer an issue. So, if you are looking with songs that are lyrically meaty that key on the major themes of scripture with piercing freshness, give this set a spin.  You will not only worship; but you may even learn a thing or two about God and the faith.

 

 

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