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Review: Everything in Color by Ben Cantelon

May 7, 2012 in Reviews with 1 Comment

Ben Cantelon’s second album, Everything in Color, releases tomorrow, May 8. Worshippers and worship leaders, take note.

On the title and theme, Ben commented,

“When life is tough, it is tempting to reduce things to black and white… but worship has a role to play in introducing the color. Worship reminds us that God is far bigger than any of us, far brighter than any of our gloom and far more real than any of our denial.”

Tim Hughes and Matt Redman co-wrote a few of the songs, and the sound is comparable. If you like Hughes and/or Redman, you’ll like Ben Cantelon.

Much of the music is simple, which means “cover-able” to worship leaders. There are catchy piano and guitar riffs throughout, but the instrumentation overall is straight-forward.

Most of the melodies are comfortable, contemporary-Christian melodies. The melody on the title track is eerily familiar, but I can’t place it. “Lord Strong & Mighty” is another track that I can’t not sing along with.

The single from the album is “New Day,” and it’s definitely the highlight. We’re going to hear this one in churches all over the country in no time. I only wish we’d had it for Easter Sunday. Check out the video below, and I guarantee you’ll be in a better mood than you are right now. It’s stinkin’ catchy.

A couple other tracks that stood out where “Be Exalted,” for it’s wonderfully gentle tone, and “Worth It All” for it’s powerful declaration of faith and hope. The chorus, of the later:

I let go of all I have, just to have all of You
And no matter what the cost, I will follow You
Jesus, everything I’ve lost, I have found in You
When I finally reach the end I’ll say, You are worth it all

Who doesn’t want to hear their congregation singing that out?


AND, because now you love that song, I made this for you: New Day Chord Sheet, PDF. Who loves you?

Blue Like Jazz

May 4, 2012 in Reviews with 2 Comments

 

This movie finally released a few weeks ago. The nearest theater that’s hosting it is in a town that’s a little more high class than me. We can’t really afford it.

So I re-read the book instead. I hadn’t read it in forever. It’s fantastic. If you haven’t read Don Miller’s breakout classic, Blue Like Jazz, get it.

Some stuff I highlighted this time:

“The problem is not a certain type of legislation or even a certain politician; the problem is the same that it has always been. I am the problem” (Loc 232).
“‘Don, the Bible is so good with chocolate. I always thought the Bible was more of a salad thing, you know, but it isn’t. It is a chocolate thing’”(Loc 505).
“I will love God because He first loved me. I will obey God because I love God. But if I cannot accept God’s love, I cannot love Him in return, and I cannot obey Him” (Loc 753).
“Your problem is not that God is not fulfilling, your problem is that you are spoiled” (Loc 821).
“I don’t think any church has ever been relevant to culture, to the human struggle, unless it believed in Jesus and the power of His gospel” (Loc 1018).
“The most difficult lie I have ever contended with is this: Life is a story about me” (Loc 1632).

And a short passage from Chapter 15 that really punched me in the face (again): Continue Reading…

Review: Current by Sarah Macintosh

April 13, 2012 in Reviews with 0 Comments

Sarah Macintosh’s new album, Current, released last month, and it’s pretty great.

I can’t help but picture Sarah in a big, fantastic dress, singing with a kind of Wonderland orchestra behind her.

The instrumentation on the album is fantastic. It’s probably my favorite part of the album. There are some familiar sounds, and some less familiar sounds, and they all come together to make up what sounds like a big, wonderfully eclectic orchestra.

Sarah’s voice is exactly the hauntingly beautiful kind of voice you would hope to pair with that kind of music.

She sings with the music, more than she sings over it.

The first several times I listened to the album, it was rolling while I was working, and I could only recall a couple actual lyrics. Her voice weaves with the music so well, that it sounds like it just fits in with everything else going on. It’s pretty cool.

When you do actually listen for lyrics, or when they do stand out on occasion, the over-arching theme of the album is definitely the hope we have in our risen Christ. So much of the album is looking forward, in joyful anticipation, to His return. It’s sweet.

Some lyrics and a video (that totally justifies my “Wonderland orchestra” comment) after the break. You can download the album here.

Continue Reading…

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