Worship Musician August 2020 | Page 31

NEW MUSIC EQUIPPERS WORSHIP Holy Fire guitar riffs and Fender Rhodes keyboards all wrapped around a smooth sounding Gospeltype choir whose voices blend and lead together seamlessly. Groovy bass lines and 70’s disco-esque guitar riffs serve as the musical foundation for the toe-tapper “More Than Words” which lyrically reminds us that as Christians we are called to show our love for Jesus by what we do, not just what we say. Leeland takes the lead on the folkish acoustic guitar led "Shepherd," which is a Psalm 23-inspired prayer to look to God and "In a Little While” is a well-written exposition to Jesus' second coming reminding this reviewer of a classic Pointer Sisters tune. “Claim It All” is a creative almost show tune-like proclamation of Jesus’ victory and is gorgeously sung by Taylor Browning while on the opposite end of the musical spectrum is the hip-hop rap of Aaron Cole’s “Sing a Song- Part 2”. This is a really fun collection of songs from the folks at Nashville Life Church. I loved their vision and musical ingenuity and that they didn’t try to sound like anyone else. The musicality and talent here is outstanding and even though there isn’t a lot of deep spiritually rich lyrics, it’s still a great collection of songs. There are a few moments on the album where the “cheesy” factor tends to take over and I doubt most worship teams would be able to emulate the musicality or eclectic style of Nashville Life, but this is still an album worth taking notice of. 1. Can’t Get Enough 2. Joy 3. Holy Fire 4. With All My Heart 5. Altars New Zealand based worship outfit, Equippers Worship is based out of Equippers Church which has 40 churches worldwide across 11 countries. Their worship collective was started by long time worship leaders Wayne and Libby Huirua and their newest release, Holy Fire is a five song EP whose theme centers around the goodness and mercy of God in our lives. Musically, Equippers finds their niche in the dance/pop genre with most tracks here featuring 80’s synth, EDM loops and peppy lyrics that you can’t help tap your foot to as the album plays out. “Can’t Get Enough” kicks the EP off with a vibrant pop dance number about the undeserved goodness that only our God can give. “Joy” follows in similar style with 80’s synth motifs and chorus laden clean guitars in this dance anthem about allowing our joy and praise of the Lord to never end, even in the midst of despair. The energy comes back a bit in the title track “Holy Fire” which is a solemn cry for God to send down His spirit and to change hearts and minds. “With All My Heart” is the most intimate moment on the EP with warm pads and crisp guitar riffs serving as the backdrop as Worship leader Wayne Huira sings passionately about how we should hold nothing back in our worship of Christ. “Altars” is the standout track and wraps us the little EP by featuring the angelic voice of worship leader Leanna Bjorn. Her gorgeous soprano floats effortlessly amongst the stripped-down instrumentation as she reminds us that only the love of Jesus can fill us and make us complete. Fans of dance pop will enjoy listening to this collection and others by Equippers Worship. The instrumentation and digital loops give this little EP sparkle and help overshadow some of the simple lyrics. Equippers has some definite potential for success with what I would assume would be a younger target audience, but I would like to see a little more depth of thought and creativity in their writing. Gerod Bass Worship leader in Tacoma, WA. Mentor with Worship Catalyst. Singer, songwriter, guitarist with a passion for impacting lives for the sake of the Gospel. www.oslc.com August 2020 Subscribe for Free... 31