NEW MUSIC
JOSH BALDWIN Where the Glory Is
give this little track vibrancy and relevance .
Some of the more classic Christmas favorites including “ O Holy Night ”, and “ Mary Did You Know ” both get country western makeovers that work well with her warm alto but for the most part there isn ’ t anything overly exciting about these arrangements .
“ Just Because It ’ s Christmas ” is a creatively written call for God ’ s people to bring their sorrows to the foot of the manger and to receive the healing God desires for all because of the birth of Jesus . I loved here how she really tapped into the hardships that many feel during the Christmas season because of broken relationships and lost loved ones . Wilson reminds the Body of Christ to not hide their sorrows during these days , but to seek God ’ s comfort in the story of the manger .
The album ends with the raucous country rocker “ Kentucky Fried Christmas ”. I could just imagine a bunch of guitar pickin ’, washboard playin , drum beatin , fiddlin friends hanging with Anne around a big campfire with Christmas lights and eggnog as they jam out to this fun homage to a down home country Christmas .
Anne Wilson is a slick and creative song writer and I really enjoyed some of the more “ meaty ” Christmas songs as she really tapped into the heart of where we should all be focusing on this and every Christmas . This album is a nice mix of festive and contemplative offerings that your church will enjoy this season .
1 . There Is Freedom 2 . Resurrection Day 3 . Where The Glory Is 4 . Narrow Road 5 . Every Hour 6 . Still Standing 7 . The Power Of His Love 8 . I See The Light 9 . Fresh Fire Fresh Wind 10 . Keep Me Burning 11 . Our Father
Over the past few years , Bethel Music ’ s Josh Baldwin has been rising in the worship leader ranks with his honest song writing , memorable melodies and gravelly vocal chops . He is an anointed worship leader and a fearless writer whose unique brand of Americana worship rock is being noticed all over Christendom . His October , 2022 release Where The Glory Is continues in the same musical vein as previous releases with its 11 newly released songs of uplifting worship and praise .
“ There Is Freedom ” gets us going right off the bat with a hope fueled song of celebration based on 1 Corinthians 3:17 while the Hillsong- UNITED-esque “ Every Hour ” reminds us that we need to be depending on our Savior in every hour and moment .
“ Fresh Fire Fresh Wind ” is a solid 90 ’ s country offering that cries out for Jesus to send his spirit to refresh our weary souls while previously released “ I See the Light “ is a mid-tempo pop rocker about the wakening of a lost soul through the changes that only Christ can bring . Here , Baldwin sings a deep biblical truth about how Jesus calls us to die to our old selves and to be reborn as a new person in Christ .
Bluesy guitars and a distinct southern drawl are the foundation of also previously released “ Narrow Road ” which is a humble offering about the difficulties we often face on the narrow road that Christ calls us to . Baldwin ’ s distinct baritone reminds the listener that “ the journey might be lonely , but I ’ ll never be alone ”.
This was a nice album with a few standout songs , and I was glad that Baldwin kept to what and who he is throughout . A few of the songs seemed to run together and I think Baldwin and his team could have dug in a bit deeper to some of the themes here as a few of the topics of these songs have been a bit overdone in recent years . Baldwin and Bethel fans will enjoy these songs for sure .
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