Seeking to create mellow, peaceful worship/meditative music, Loud Harp formed in 2011, and later released their debut self titled album mid 2012. With a deep, rich sound, it’s surprising to know that Loud Harp consists of just two individuals – Asher Seevinck and Dave Wilton. Written during a season of doubt, this track focuses on the nearness and presence of Christ amidst the various struggles we face.
Coming from Sweden, Ecovillage is a two man band who create experimental/electronica/psychadelic music. After forming in 2006 the band has now released two albums, the latest of which is named ‘With Fragile Wings We Reach The Sun’. It’s on that album that you will find this truly pleasant strings interlude that will calm any busy soul.
Canopy Climbers are a three piece band, who interestingly live in three different cities. Recording and sharing their music over the internet, they comprise their music in a real experimental way. This song – Lazarus (found on the album Distances)- is a brilliant musical portrayal of Jesus bringing his friend Lazarus back to life, told through Jesus’ words from the gospel, plus the artistic additions from the band. Despite the added lyricism, the song remains true to the account found in the Gospel of John and with the peaceful, divine synths produced on this track, it really captures the essence of the miraculous sign performed by Christ. Brilliantly thought provoking. Also they have a new album just around the corner!
This song is taken from Future of Forestry’s second Christmas album, Advent Christmas EP, Vol 2. Eric Owyoung, the man behind FoF enjoys his Christmas songs and most years does a special Advent tour. This is his slightly less traditional cover of Joy To The World, starting in an experimental, electronica style and progressively becoming more traditional building up to the climax, where the song transitions into the hymn All Creatures Of Our God And King. Owyoung then wonderfully merges the hymns a second time and finishes this wonderful cover by reprising the original carol, what a musical journey!
Young Oceans are a band from Trinity Church, New York City, and this album, Advent, is their second release so far. Advent, is a Christmas album but rather than focusing on the birth of Jesus and the celebrations of our Saviour’s arrival, this album looks more towards the build up of excitement prior to the events in the New Testament. This song is a beautiful atmospherical soundscape with lyrics inspired and adapted from Isaiah 40:3-4:
“Let all who hear make way
And may these hearts prepare a place
For ‘God with Us’
Will come to save
And surely He shall comfort those he loves
And so we wait.”
As a truly inspiring, reflective and alternative soundtrack for the lead up to Christmas, I highly recommend getting your mittens on this EP.
Paper Route are an indie rock band from Tennessee, USA. The band is comprised of J.T. Daly, Chad Howat, and Gavin McDonald. Paper Route doesn’t claim to be a Christian band but all the members are Christian. This song is taken from their 2012 album The Peace Of Wild Things, this album sees the band again experimenting with different sounds, which is especially heard on this song, Born In Love. The lyrics are short and effective but it’s the bass that carries this song for me, creating a brilliant experimental electronica song with elements of deep house/chillstep.
“I’ve seen love
Move like a river
It’s taking me away”
This song is taken from Beautiful Eulogy’s debut album Satellite Kites, and features additional vocals by Josh Garrels. On this track Braille and Odd Thomas speak of how God sustains us through uncertain times and always remains our anchor.
All rights belong to Beautiful Eulogy.
Beautiful Eulogy are a Hip-Hop trio signed to the Christian Hip-Hop record label Humble Beast made up of Courtland Urbano, Odd Thomas and Braille. This is their first album together but each have done work separately prior to this release. The group have since produced the new Humble Beast release, Excellent by Propaganda.
Lyrics: (Chorus: Josh Garrels) Anchor of my soul, You sustain When I’m in the storm, You remain Good to me Good to me
(Verse 1: Braille) When it’s a quarter past midnight And the grey skies fade to black The waves splash and set me off track So my vessel might crash or collapse When I’m attacked And start wrestling with these bad Memories from my past I’m aware of my guilt, overwhelmed And the smell of my blood has the sharks That surround me cast under a spell They waited for me to fall but when I fell the water got Still And the blood that was spilled protects me It’s the same blood that cleansed me My only defense against my nemesis Now I can rest knowing that nothing can come against Me unless the Father gives consent Evil intentions will not disturb God’s purposes or interfere so Who shall I fear if my Anchor is secure? Learning to consider it pure joy when I’m facing tribulations Praising God instead of complaining or getting overtaken with bitterness Looking at the pages of the book of James and seeing The ways that God works through the trials to make us more Mature in our faith. It reminds me how desperate I am in This desert land, thirsty for your mercy and plan while you Give me the strength to stand. You’re my greatest pleasure, Yeah, no matter the weather I face, Lord you never forsake, My fragile life is safe under your sovereign grace.
(Chorus)
(Verse 2: Odd Thomas) At some point every human looks right in the eyes of agony And through the tragedy asks himself how can this happen to me? You might be the type with enough insight to hold On for your dear life but slip because your grip is not as Tight as I might like. You ain’t immune to it, naw, and if You true to yourself then you ain’t new to it Trusted in self, lusted and lured to it So when the darkness overwhelms me And the tide of life rises and swells “It is Well” is what compels me. When faced with adversity your truth Constantly reminds me that you command the seas with ease And with words you’re turning wind to breeze. It helps me To understand that we stand on solid rock not on sinking Sand. Through the providence of pain you perfect your plan. Predestined to be tested when the works and the Words of God cooperate and educate men in the great gift of Grace And Faith. And even though its obvious when my outlooks Ominous you’ve bound my heart and my conscience and gave me A constant calmness. So when the pain comes like rain from The parts of life that maintains its strain I can put my Trust in the hands that sustain. It’s profound that with All these sinking ships around me, He surrounds me and he Anchors me with his grace abounding.
