NEW MUSIC
NOW HEAR THIS | Gerod Bass
CHRIS TOMLIN Always
ANNE WILSON The Manger
1 . YAHWEH ( No One ) 2 . Always 3 . Strongholds 4 . Holy Forever 5 . O Lord , You ’ re Beautiful 6 . The Answer 7 . Great Forgiver 8 . I Believe In Jesus 9 . I See You 10 . Father of Lights 11 . History 12 . All In All 13 . Precious Love
Remember back in the day when worship legend , Chris Tomlin would write memorable , Biblically based , God-honoring , vertically aimed songs of worship that the church would sing over and over again ? Well after a little detour into a somewhat odd country-esque foray , I am happy to announce that the man is back doing what he does best in his latest offering , Always .
This big 13 track album is rooted in the fact that our God never changes and that we can trust His faithfulness in all situations . Nowhere is this main theme more evident than the title track which is based on Hebrews 13:8 and begins with flowing 6 / 8 guitar strums over a myriad of ethereal arpeggio keyboards . The verses find Tomlin professing his belief in God ’ s goodness
and unchanging heart for His people while the chorus is a call for us to proclaim his greatness because of who He was , is and will always be .
“ Strongholds ” is a powerful testimony to how God still overcomes every obstacle with rhythmic drums and powerful keyboards while “ Holy Forever ” is on the opposite end of the musical spectrum but still touches on the ever faithful theme with its soaring chorus notes and reverent honest and vertical worship .
The album also features a few guest artists including Stephanie Gretzinger who joins Tomlin in a gorgeous piano-led re-adaptation of the Keith Green classic “ Oh Lord , You ’ re Beautiful ” which also features a newly written chorus that works gloriously .
Not to be missed is the hymn-like “ I Believe In Jesus ” and Tomlin shows his lyrical transparency in the honest ballad “ All In All ”.
This is the best Tomlin album since Never Lose Sight with almost every song sure to be a Sunday morning classic . Seriously , there is not a bad song or one I would consider a “ filler ” here . The church is better with this version of Chris Tomlin and I for one am thankful to have him back doing what he does best .
1 . I Still Believe in Christmas 2 . The Manger 3 . O Holy Night 4 . Mary , Did You Know ? 5 . Just Because It ’ s Christmas 6 . Kentucky Fried Christmas
Dove-award winning country worship artist , Anne Wilson helps the church launch into the 2022 holiday season with her six song Christmas EP entitled The Manger . Four of the six tracks are newly penned and wonderfully share the hope of the season as she calls every believer to live the season in their daily lives .
The album kicks off with “ I Still Believe in Christmas ” with its southern pop vibe as Anne sings confidently about how we often lose our focus on what is really important as the church and the story of Christ drifts further and further away from the center of culture . She urges us to keep our hearts focused on the Christ child and the salvation procured for us amidst the lights and celebration of the season .
“ The Manger ” finds Wilson joining vocal forces with Josh Turner as the two voices blend seamlessly in this bluegrass ditty about how our God gave up everything for those He loves as He traded glory for a manger . The southern guitars , violins and the twang in their voices