NEW MUSIC
THE AFTERS Song Spotlight “ God Is With Us ”
The Afters band came to life back in 1999 when Joshua Havens and Matt Fuqua were both working at a Starbucks in Mesquite , Texas . They felt God ’ s call to begin writing songs that would glorify their maker while sharing the Gospel through their pop / rock sound and tight harmonies . 24 years later , the band has seen its share of change and growth but the central focus has always been on pointing people to the unshakable Gospel of Jesus .
Their latest single , “ God With Us ” puts words to the moments when you can ’ t see , feel , or fully understand God and comes not only from the band ’ s personal stories but from the hope that can be found in God ’ s promise , that He will never leave us .
The song begins with a humble piano and pad before Joshua ’ s throaty tenor leads us into verse one which asks a poignant question about God ’ s whereabouts when life is hard and heartache and pain are at the forefront of our lives . “ Where is God ” is a question we have all asked at one time or another when our prayers are not answered in the way we think they should be or when sickness or tragedy strikes , or when we have suddenly lost someone we love . These questions not only will connect with every listener but also lead brilliantly into the chorus .
The chorus follows and gives us the answer with a slight uptick in musical energy as we hear about God ’ s faithfulness in the hook laden lyric ; “ He is right here where He ’ s always back to the basics of faith when doubts creep in and we wonder where God is .
“ Beggars To Kings ” is probably the best written song on the album and is a bit more mainstream in style with driving acoustic guitars , anthemic drums and hook laden melodies . The song gives us a powerful glimpse into the very heart of our God as we are reminded that there is no one who doesn ’ t deserve His grace and mercy and that ; “ You ’ ve got countless second chances in the arms of grace ”.
“ Let It Roll ” features bouncy Irish violins , rockin ’ distorted guitars and out-of-the-box rhythms with lyrics that call for freedom over oppression and for God ’ s justice to reign in our midst . Again , this song is very Rend Collective that every Rend fan will instantly connect with .
The EP concludes with a live version of the title track which brings takes the overall energy of the song to new heights .
There are some really creative and fun musical moments here . The songs are well written and will bring joy and a renewed hope to all who listen . Rend Collective just continues to do their thing and there is nothing wrong with that in my opinion .
been . He never left and He never will . Where is God ? God is with us ”. It is an answer that reassures the broken and gives hope and light to a person ’ s dark world and at the same time reminds us of what Jesus said in John 16 ; “ In this world you will have trouble , but take heart , I have overcome the world ”.
Verse 2 continues along the same vein as the first as Joshua tackles the questions of broken marriages , lost loved ones , relapse and addiction which again , will connect with people on a very personal level compared to a lot of modern worship songs .
The following chorus finds Joshua jumping up the octave along with a big change in dynamics of chorus 2 . These musical changes help the listener grasp the power of God to overcome as He feels what we feel during these hard times .
The bridge is my favorite part of the song as we are powerfully reminded that even though we might not know the answers as to why God is allowing something to happen , we do know that our God is for us , and He is always faithful .
I applaud the real grit of these lyrics and I appreciate the band ’ s willingness to get real and go deep with this song . Doing so , gave a much greater meaning to the chorus and overall message . This song will connect with every person who listens and will remind them that even when the darkness seems to have overtaken us , our God never , ever leaves .
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
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