NEW MUSIC
PASSION Hope Has A Name
" Into the Wild " sets the thematic thread of the record as Baldwin passionately sings of the comfort that we experience while living our lives in faith with Christ as the center . The congregationally friendly " New Creations " reminded me of a classic Tom Petty tune yet the message speaks confidently of how God brings light where death seems to have taken hold .
The title track is a gratitude-laced composition telling of God ’ s faithfulness in Baldwin ’ s life while pointing out that even though fear exists for us , the evidence of His love and faithfulness give us hope no matter what we may face . Featuring slide guitars and a hook-laden chorus , this is a song that your church will fall in love with and will definitely get stuck in your head for days after you listen .
“ Your Voice ” and “ Beloved ” are nice tunes but tend to fall into the category of “ filler ” material . That being said , there are some standout moments in this collection that give evidence ( pun definitely intended ) that Josh Baldwin is on his way to becoming a great writer for the church .
1 . O Come All Ye Faithful ( His Name
Shall Be ) - Melodie Malone 2 . Highest Hallelujah - Brett Younker 3 . Hope Has A Name - Kristian Stanfill 4 . O Holy Night - Crowder 5 . The King Has Come - Kristian Stanfill 6 . Grace Of God With Us - Chidima 7 . Hush - Melodie Malone
Passion has been blessing the church for more than 20 years with powerful songs of worship while helping launch the careers of such worship icons as Charlie Hall , Chris Tomlin , Kristian Stanfill , Christy Nockles and Crowder just to name a few . Their first ever holiday EP , Hope Has A Name features five all-new songs and two Christmas covers wrapped with some new lyrics and re-wrapped arrangement .
Melodie Malone starts off the festivities with her airy soprano as she artfully winds her way through the Christmas favorite , “ O Come All Ye Faithful ”. The subtle piano background sets the stage well for the rest of album and although she is not the first to re-make this holiday classic , the warmth and fervor with which she delivers this iconic song will launch your heart into the Christmas spirit . The bridge is a new
addition and serves as the vertical portion of the song .
Kristian Stanfill takes over the leadership duties on the title track which gives us a bouncy popvibe as he takes us to the manger on Christmas Eve and reminds us that the birth of the baby Jesus happened to set God ’ s plan in motion and to save us from sin and death .
Crowder ’ s edgy version of “ O Holy Night ” gives a different feel while the album closes with two highlight tracks . “ Grace Of God With Us ” finds us singing “ Glory to God in the highest ” along with the angels on Christmas Eve as they proclaim the complete and total reign of God through the birth of Jesus .
The album ends with “ Hush ” which is led by Melodie Malone and serves as a reminder of the awe-inspiring wonder of His birth . We are called to be still in the midst of the newborn king who has come to silence every fear and to redeem all of mankind .
I was surprised to learn that this was Passion ’ s first ever Christmas collection . There are a few holiday highlights that could definitely find their way into your Christmas services but for the most part this is another quality offering from the fine folks at Passion .
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