Worship Musician July 2018 | Page 64

NEW MUSIC

NOW HEAR THIS | Gerod Bass

MATTHEW JAMES MASON Refuge

ALISA TURNER Miracle Or Not

Matthew James Mason is a songwriter, worship leader, and pastor at Radiant Life Church in Dublin, Ohio. His debut EP, Refuge, centers around the theme of God ' s faithfulness and the hope that only He can bring. Vocally, Mason reminds this reviewer of Matt Maher and, stylistically, this album sits somewhere between a laid-back Hillsong or Tim Hughes with just a little bit of The Cure thrown in for seasoning.

These are definitely songs written with the local church in mind and all are easy to sing with memorable melodies and hooks. The best of the bunch being the somewhat muted " Overcome the Grave " which begins at the cross as Mason sings about the price that needed to be paid by Jesus, and ends up as a celebration of the new life that was brought because of the resurrection. The relaxed arrangement was a bold choice here given the nature of the lyrics, but as I listened I was struck by the peace that this event should bring us every day, and although I ' m not sure that was his intention, it took me to a different place than most other Easter songs about Christ ' s ultimate victory.

The album ' s title track takes a melodic page right out of Chris Tomlin ' s book with it ' s driving drum beat and rhythmic electric guitar riffs as Mason sings about the Oasis that Jesus is for His people amidst life ' s struggles. It came off a bit cookie-cutter, but still had some individual depth and warmth.

This was a nice first collection from Mason. I thought he did a good job of staying thematically consistent with his writing throughout each song, and the guitar work is really good on this album. Although I like his voice, He seemed a little lazy vocally in a few spots where he really could have shown off his vocal gift, which hurt the energy of that particular song. This maybe is due to the fact that he is indeed a worship leader and as such, may tend to tone it down for his congregation. A few cliché’ s tended to invade the musical landscape now and again, but nothing too bad. There are a few useable tracks that could find their way into your Sunday setlist.

Alisa Turner knows first-hand about suffering and loss. As a teenager, she contracted Lyme Disease, at 20 years young, her father died, and as a newly married mom, she lost her infant son. These life experiences are what drive the Tennessee based worship leader to write songs for the church from a different point of view. Her strong heart and a knowledge that she is unconditionally loved by God are what helps Alisa to pour these experiences into her music, modern laments, and psalms filled with hope.

Sounding like a young Jennifer Knapp, Alisa Turner ' s smoky vocals are the musical foundation of her debut album, Miracle or Not which features thirteen new tracks of honest, vertical worship written out of desperation and loss.

" Lift My Eyes " is based on Psalm 121 and is a catchy pop opener as Turner ' s unique vocal style sets the tone for what is to come. " Not

64 July 2018 WorshipMusician. com