NEW MUSIC
“ THIS IS OUR GOD ” Song Spotlight By Phil Wickham , Stephen Furtick , Brandon Lake and Pat Barrett
“ Abide ,” is taken right out of John 14 as we hear the words of Jesus and how He describes what a life of surrender looks like . The wildly successful “ On and On ” is the antithesis of what a vertical worship song should sound like with it ’ s well written hooks and melody line that sticks firmly in your heart for days .
“ Glory Hallelujah ” is a pop infused song of praise that brings the energy and reminds me of early Israel Houghton songs from back in the day while on the other end of the musical spectrum , the team ’ s rendition of the pensive , “ Set Me on Fire ” is the emotional center of the album .
The album ends with the mid-tempo ballad , “ Every Season ” which leaves the listener clinging tightly to the faithfulness of our God as they head into the mountains and valleys of their everyday lives .
This is a very good collection of songs from Canyon Hills . The writing is solid throughout , the mix is on point and there were only a few spots where the dreaded Christian cliché made an appearance . Vocally , they are way above average and I think creatively there were more than a few “ out-of-the-box ” worship moments that set them apart from other artists . Canyon Hills Worship is a collective you should be paying attention to .
“ This Is Our God ” is an upbeat , theologically rich anthem that calls on the listener to remember the faithfulness of God that lasts for every generation . Musically , the song features a classic four-on-the-floor rhythm with a catchy guitar and keyboard motif that repeats throughout . This hope filled song would be an outstanding service opener that introduces people to a God who is with us no matter what and whose faithfulness never ends .
There are many versions and arrangements taking over Christian radio waves already but for our review purposes , I will stick with the Phil Wickham version here .
The intro features an earth-shaking drum rhythm with powerful kick and some slick tom work as we are introduced to the main melodic theme with guitars and keyboards . The first verse sneaks in a little repeating keyboard loop while Wickham ’ s silky vocals remind us that the barriers of sin , shame , death and grave have been broken because of the death and resurrection of Jesus .
The chorus arrangement is fairly typical of modern worship music as the rhythm instruments are mostly swept away highlighting Phil ’ s vocals as he shares the identity and divinity of our God by triumphantly proclaiming ; “ This is our God , this is who He is . He loves us . This is our God , this is what He does , He saves us . He bore the cross , beat the grave , let heaven and earth proclaim , this is our God , King Jesus ”
Verse 2 is cleverly written as Wickham points out that we as sons and daughters of the King have nothing to be afraid of now because of what He has done yet when life finds us deep in the wilderness , He is still there ready to listen and answer our prayers . The 2nd half of the verse hearkens the listener back to the Israelites deliverance from Egypt and how God walked with them through it all and that He still does the same thing with us today .
The 2nd chorus follows with a noticeable difference in instrumentation and energy before we get to the bridge in which we get a poetic question ; “ Who pulled me out of that pit ?” which gives way to an obvious yet powerful answer ; “ He did , He did ”. The bridge builds fairly typically both instrumentally and vocally before we launch into the final chorus and outro .
Even though the song structure and style are pretty on par with what we have been hearing the past few years , “ This Is Our God ” has some great moments both lyrically and musically and will help fill a void of what I feel are too few upbeat songs these days . I know my Sunday morning crowd is going to enjoy worshiping with this one and I bet you and yours will too .
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
22 June 2023 Subscribe for Free ...