NEW MUSIC
CORY ASBURY “ Canyons ” - Song Spotlight the foundation for a congregationally friendly worship song .
God ’ s faithfulness serves as the thematic backdrop of songs like “ We Turn Our Eyes ( You Speak To My Fear )”, “ Whatever May Come ” and “ Death Has No Power ”. They all tap into the unwavering love and dependability of our God throughout history .
“ Death Has No Power ” celebrates the victory Jesus won on Easter while reminding believers that we have nothing to fear , while “ Father I Thank You ”, is a gorgeous piano ballad thanking God for the way He finds us in our brokenness and adopts us as sons and daughters .
“ Isn ’ t the Name ” ends the album with Adrienne taking the vocal lead with piano backing in this beautifully vertical worship anthem .
There were a few places on the EP where the writing was a bit cliché heavy , but overall the combination of Jeremy and Adrienne ’ s vocals create a warm worship experience . These songs are very congregationally friendly and I could see many of these being used in my Sunday morning repertoire .
Bethel song writer and worship leader Cory Asbury has had a bit of a breakout season during 2020 . One of his best songs comes from his recent studio release , To Love a Fool . “ Canyons ” is a congregationally friendly anthem and a brilliant combination of memorable melodies , solid Biblical writing and creative artistry .
The song begins with a very catchy acoustic guitar strum and a happy whistle that captures your attention . Asbury sings verse one recalling all the mountains he has climbed in his life yet he still fails to see the edge of God ’ s love . This verse speaks to the things we so often hold as being the staples of success ; a career , diplomas on the wall , the big house , yet all of these pale in comparison to the depth of God ’ s faithfulness and love .
Verse two follows in the same manner , yet with an opposite direction as Asbury smartly describes more personal victories like walking on the water and exploring the deepest seas . Like verse 1 , Asbury comes to same conclusion that through all these accomplishments he still cannot fathom ( which is a very clever lyric ) the depth of God ’ s love for us .
singing a falsetto note on the phrase , “ oceans deep ”. These two phrases in the chorus paint a multisensory picture of the depth of God ’ s love outlined for us in Ephesians 3 . The chorus ends by reminding us that no matter how far away God seems to be , that we are never beyond the reach of His love .
Verse three explores the dark times in our lives where we find ourselves in the deepest valley . It is here that God finds us just as we are and the hope of Jesus shines the light of truth that leads us back to the Father .
Chorus two follows before giving way to the bridge which borrows its lyrical scope from Romans 8 . Here Asbury boldly proclaims ;
“ Where could I run that You wouldn ' t run after me ? How could I fall when You already took the fall for me ? Beyond the stars to the very breath I breathe there ' s no end to Your love for me ”.
This bridge is wonderfully full of Biblical truth and serves as the thematic resting place for the entire song .
The song ends with a dwelling instrumental section complete with a muted trumpet solo that helps us think about what we just heard . Canyons is one of my favorites songs of 2020 and is a song your church should be singing .
Asbury does a masterful job mixing vocal and lyrical creativity in this song and it comes across nowhere clearer than the hook laden chorus . He sings a long note for the first phrase ; “ Canyons wide ” then goes back melodically to the opposites idea from the first two verses by
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