Don’t get me wrong…it’s good. This is a well done CD. Great songwriting, playing, and production. What else could you want.

If this is a persons introduction to Hillsong it is a great one. However if you are like me and have about 25 Hillsong CD’s then this may not rock your boat.

Actually there is one song on here that will. “Like Incense/Sometimes By Step.” is the stand out song of this CD. It is a brilliant remix and is AMAZING.

Such is A Beautiful Exchange. Consistently Hillsong.  Now, I have no problem with Hillsong (although most ‘United’ albums are more to my taste), and I know going in there will be some good songs, and there are.  I would just love to see musicians of this caliber step outside the box a little more; I’d like to see some risk.  This album fits right into the formula perfectly.

One jewel on the record is the great medley with a classic Rich Mullins tune called “Like Incense/Sometimes By Step.”  Hearing that beautiful tune with the full Hillsong treatment is awesome.  ”You” is another good, high-energy song that will be finding it’s way into a youth group near you.  And, of course, all these songs are very easily learned, which will make them great for congregational worship.

I think there is a little experimentation (for Hillsong) on here.  For example the mashup with “Like Incense” and “Sometimes By Step”.  I like that they attempted this, but I’m sure I like the result.  Another example is “Forever Reign” which has a strange (but extremely singable) melody.

I do think Hillsong songs are becoming more sophisticated with more guitars and other instruments needed to do the song justice.  I do think however, with some rearrangement you could use most of these songs without too much trouble no matter your band setup.

• Like Incense/Sometimes by Step

• Like Incense/Sometimes by Step
• You
• Our God is Love

• Our God Is Love
• Open My Eyes
• The Fathers Heart
• Love Like Fire
• Believe
• Thank You

You could do any of these songs. It’s a HILLSONG CD! The only one I will use though is “Like Incense/Sometimes by Step”

• Are you kidding?  This is Hillsong.  You could use ever single song at some point in a service.

It’s a Hillsong album!  However, my feeling is that most of these songs will need rearranging for bands without multiple electric guitars.

I really Like “undone” and “hold on to me”. “i don’t care” has a great funky feel that sounds very similar to PFR.

In the end I think they have a few really great songs on here, but the back half of the CD sorta falls off for me. I don’t think there is consistent quality of songs from beginning to end. The back end feels very retro…as in before 1980. Normally I like that but it just doesn’t work for FFH.

It’s a mixed bag, unfortunately.  I’d love to say every song was a hit out of the park, but the songs that are good are really good. The album grabs you right away with the opening tune, “Undone.”  Very nice song, really singable.  ”Hold On To Me” is another great song- I really love the harmonies and the blending of the instruments.   There’s a nice 70′s easy-rock vibe to a lot of the songs.

I got a wee bit worried when I didn’t quite dig the next track, “Wide Open Spaces” which happens to be their title track.  However, my worry went away when “What It Feels Like” starting playing.  Easily my favourite song on this album.

I’d love to end on a good note, but the rest of the album went a little downhill for me.  I don’t think it stands up to the first few songs on here, but maybe that’s just because they are so good?

• Undone
• Hold On To Me
• I don’t care

• Undone
• Hold On To Me (probably my favorite)
• What It Feels Like
• Who I’m Gonna Be

• Undone (currently playing on k-love)
• Hold On To Me
• What It Feels Like (probably my favourite song on here)

I would not use any of the songs here for church

No “church service” songs here

I did not find any songs on here that I would use in church.

I really love what she is doing sonically and lyrically as well here. Awesome stuff and in my eyes gives us what I have longed for from Kathryn. A return to the sound and feel of when I first heard her and yet modern and current.

The only thing that threw me for a loop was seeing “I believe in Jesus” on there. I used to love that song. In terms of worship music I don’t think it had near the staying power as say “shout to the lord”, but I think Scott may have resurrected it and made it usable even today.

Let me end on this note. Kathryn is one of those artists who should only do Live CD’s because thats when we hear the Worship come through her the most.

MAHONEY: I really like the body of Kathryn Scott’s work.  She has a lot going for her: she sings wonderfully, she’s Irsih, and she wrote “Hungry,” which happens to be one of my favorite worship songs.   This record, however, takes things to another level.

I’m convinced I need to see Kathryn live at some point, if this album is any indication of that experience.  The whole experience is what one would expect from a songwriter of this caliber, and the album has a great sound and feel to it.  It’s a little edgier than Vicky Beeching or Kari Jobe, but not quite Jesus Culture.  It’s worshipful, intimate and at the same time powerful.  I could have done without some of the older song redo’s (except “Hungry”), but all in all a great live worship album.

The album starts very upbeat with “Let It Come”, it’s a cracking song even though the verse melody is a little weird to my ears.  The running theme throughout the whole record seems to be God’s goodness.  I love this theme because it’s one that’s been on my heart recently.

The style of record reminds me of mix of Vicky Beeching and Kim Walker / Jesus Culture.  It is very worshipful and at times lends itself to simply ‘soaking’ in God’s presence.

I was surprised to hear “I believe in Jesus” on there.  Yes, I still do believe in Jesus but I was done with that song years ago.  It was great to hear the timeless “There Is A Redeemer” on there.

• Let It Come
• You’re Good
• Deliverance
• Come Back Home
• We Still Believe
• There Is A Redeemer
• Presence
• Hungry

MAHONEY

• Let It Come
• You’re Good
• Deliverance
• We Still Believe
• There Is A Redeemer
• Presence
• Hungry

Every one of these songs could be used. I know I personally will attempt to do a few of these. i love the addition of Bran Doerksen because it gives the opportunity for two vocalists as well.

MAHONEY:

Seriously?  This is a worship album.  All of this songs can (and should) be used in corporate worship.

All the songs on here are suited for congregational worship.

Some of this CD brought me right in and other songs took a bit of time. I love the songwriting and the instrumentation. The chord patterns are refreshing as well because its not just simple 3 chord songs.

I could totally hear “call me to live” on the radio. The chorus is really catchy. A brilliant hook.

I really love “Quiet my Heart as well”

Overall this is a great listen with some real standouts. Shannon and his wife make a great team on this CD and you can easily hear how amazing it would be to see them do this eclectic sound live.

It took me a couple of listens to really get into the record.  I’ve had it for quite a while, actually, and after the first listen it went into the regular shuffle on my music player.  The more songs came up, the more I liked them.  I think there is some over-production in places, but overall the album has a good feel to it.

There are some great moments on this album – like when Shannon rocks out on “Call Me To Live”.  There are other parts I don’t like so much, like some of the vocal effects which I felt were unnecessary.

The songs themselves themselves are good.  Only one song has stood out so far that I might be able to use in church.  Shannon sings most of the songs on here, but is accompanied by his wife throughout most of the album.

Give this album a go, if you enjoy good lyrics and something a little different.

• Quiet My heart
• Fly
• Call me to Live
• Coming Kingdom

• You Came Running
• Call Me To Live
• Coming Kingdom

• Wandering Heart
• Fly (The  baby/child sounds remind me of “Eden” by Rich Mullins).
• You Came Running
• Call Me To Live
• Coming Kingdom

I”m pretty sure a few of these could be used in church. After careful review I don’t think there are any here I would personally use though. This may fall under more concert style worship and performance based songs in general. Some may make great special music though

I’m not sure I’d use any of these for my congregation.

I thought the song best suited for congregational use was the last track, “Coming Kingdom”.

KLAMPERT: Why in the world do people not know who this guy is! Honestly this industry is irritating. Joel Auge is original and different. He is an artist that actually deserves the title of “artist”. It is great to see a singer songwriter create in their craft instead of trying to mold themselves after what everybody else is doing. Thank you Integrity for letting people like Joel create.

This is a great CD that has it’s own flair. It has nuances of modern worship with a bit of Keaggy and PFR thrown in.
Great songwriting and wonderful worship.

BYRD: ..

MAHONEY: I was very surprised at this album.  I’d never heard of Joel Auge until earlier this year, but he’s been getting a bit of chatter from people who’ve seen him.  So I was looking forward to it, and I seriously liked what I heard.  This guy has some major songwriting skills and some really nice, emotional vocals.

VANCE: What a quirky little album.  I was really surprised when I put this album on tonight.  It’s different – and different in a good way.  It is full of complex melodies and creativity not found very often on Christian records these days.  This may go against him in some circles, but others will absolutely love what is on offer here.

KLAMPERT: Bottom line is if you want to continue to listen to the 7000 bands that sound like coldplay and hillsong united then feel free to put your ipod on shuffle. However if you want to hear something different and something great then take a chance on this artist. Buy his CD and help bring creativity back to Christian music.
If I had anything negative to say about this CD it would be that I don’t like this cover at all.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

KLAMPERT:

• Be Lifted
• Invisible Things
  
• Promises
• Ok
• Addison
  
• You found me
• Save Me
  
• Show Your Love
• Here to Love

BYRD:

MAHONEY

• Be Lifted
• Invisible Things
• Promises
• Ok
• You found me
• Show Your Love
• Here to Love

VANCE:

KLAMPERT:

This is a tough call. The music is great. I can’t say that most of it is for a corporate worship setting though. On top of the Auge’s voice is amazing and unless you have a range to pull it off these songs might be tough.
I think I will most likely try Save Me. I think that song would be awesome to use

BYRD:

MAHONEY:

These are not really praise and worship songs, so I don’t think I’d find a use for any of them in a corporate worship setting.

VANCE:

There is some great songs on here, but nothing that sticks out immediately for use in church.

KLAMPERT: We already reviewed this CD a while back. I guess we were cutting edge because when we did it most people thought “how he loves” was a crowder or Jesus Culture song. Now JMM is signed with Integrity and they are trying real hard to get his name out there and I really hope it works. JMM is brilliant, different, old school and at the same time has a modern sense of worship. He is a classic folk rocker who uses lyrics masterfully.

The new additions to this version did not ruin the “perfect” album he had before. Surprisingly it made it even more perfect. I love the new songs. Carloina Tide is awesome.

• Reckoning Day
• Skeleton Bones
• Carbon Ribs
• Dress Us Up
• Carolina Tide
• My Only
• Between the Cracks – give it time, it opens up to yummy goodness!
• How He Loves

BYRD:

• Carolina Tide
• My Only
• Between the Cracks – give it time, it opens up to yummy goodness!
• How He Loves

• Reckoning Day
• Skeleton Bones
• Carbon Ribs
• Belly of the Lion
• Dress Us Up
• How He Loves
• Between the Cracks
• Carolina Tide

• Reckoning Day
• The Medicine
• Skeleton Bones
• Carbon Ribs
• Dress Us Up
• Death In His Grave
• Belly Of The Lion
• Ten Thousand
• How He Loves

• Skeleton Bones
• Dress Us Up
• How He Loves
• My Only
• Carbon Ribs

I have already used half of these…can’t wait to use the rest.

BYRD:

• How He Loves
• My Only

MAHONEY:

• How He Loves
• Dress Us Up (Only because I’ve played it since the last review, and it was awesome!)

KLAMPERT: Here at The Joint we are known for being honest and sometimes brutally honest (ALASTAIR IM TALKING TO YOU BRO!) Ha ha…anyway. When I first got Carlos’ EP I have to admit I was not that impressed. I mean it was good but it did not blow me away like I thought it “should.” “Rain it Down” was a tough one for me because I felt like you could sing “Rain Down” by Delirious’ chorus over Carlos’ chorus. So when I received the full CD was not rushing to hear it. (KEEP READING!)
Let me say that whoever decided on that EP I think made an error because to me it did not put Carlos’ best foot forward. There are some great songs on this CD and it deserves not only a listen, but a good hard listen.
I won’t say it breaks new ground lyrically or sonically for worship, but Carlos’ heart and live pour out of this thing.
Carlos is a marketing machine, but more so he is an open book who’s heart bleeds for the lost. This CD gives us a peak into that and it draws you in even more because of it. 
“God of Second Chances” and “No Words” to me are the most out of the box songs he has on here and are both my favorites. I absolutely LOVE these two songs and I truly can’t wait to play them myself.

BYRD: The only thing worse than getting a CD from an unknown and it being utter garbage is getting a CD from someone whom you want to succeed and it being utter garbage. I was so scared because more than anything I wanted the soundtrack of the Ragamuffin Gospel to live up to the blog of the Ragamuffin Gospel and if anyone could do it, it’d certainly be Los but at the same time that’s an incredibly huge expectation to live up to! While the 3 song EP wet my appetite, I was nervous for let down regarding 12 tracks. THANKFULLY I was not disappointed. I don’t think EP showed truly the greatness found on this worship project. There are some amazingly singable songs for the church here that don’t get boring on numerous listens! The greatest challenge of a studio worship album that’s to translate to a live audience is the stale separation that the studio brings, I think the greatest achievement Los has accomplished is creatively solving that problem! I can hear Los “leading worship” here which is exciting for me as I’m cruising in my truck, at my office, or dreaming of how to pull this off live!

I guess, the greatest achievement would be that there are actually substantial songs here that not only sound good but that lyrically stand out. If there was ever a pass to get out your “Amazing/Awesome God” song out it’d be now while his song writing skills are at their least seasoned! Thankfully, Los has not taken the easy way out. I think that’s what scared me the most regarding the EP. I think Jesus Saves and Rain it Down are the weakest lyrically because they sound the most familiar. However God of Second Chances is trying to beat out Crowder’s Like a Lion for my absolute most favoritest song right now! And on the opposite end of the dance, celebration songs is No Words that just captivatingly draws me to worship every time!

I think if anything, the CD is too long. There’s about 8 memorable songs here. 2 more great fillers. 2 that could be cut to really define an insanely concise and amazing first punch! Ah well. I’m just stoked that this soundtrack is not only indicative of who he is and his community but of a God to be praised and glorified!

MAHONEY: I might be the only guy in the online worship community who doesn’t personally know Carlos, so my total experience with him is reading his blog and listening to his EP.  Based on the EP, I was ready for another mediocre worship album.  I was genuinely surprised at what I got instead.

Carlos isn’t going to re-write any worship books with this record, but he could give a lesson in sincerity to some people.  He clearly has a heart for the lost, and this pours out in his music, but more importantly, he connects with the songs on the album.  Taken as a piece, the songs on the EP make more sense, and fit well into the record.  And there are some genuinely good songs here.  I especially like “God of Second Chances.”

If I had one complaint with the album, it’s in the production – it seems almost too polished.  Given a man who’s heart is so on display, I’d expect (and want) something a little edgier, a little more raw.

VANCE: Well, Los’ new album is here.  I had the EP also, and my favorite song on it was Jesus Saves.  You expect an EP to launch with the best songs an artist has to offer, but I believe the full length album has a few even better tracks (in my opinion).

I’m not going to pretend to know Los.  The couple of times I’ve bumped into him, like most people in this country, he didn’t have a clue what I was saying.  The poor guy had lines on his forehead trying to decipher my accent.  Anyway.  From what I know from his online personality, Los is a great guy with a huge heart for community.  He is also a pretty talented worship leader and it comes through on this recording.

I was impressed by the team of writers pulled onto this project.  We have Mia Fieldes, Jason Ingram, and Philip Larue all chipping in on the song writing process with Carlos.  The only song not credited to Carlos is “Your Name” written by Paul Baloche and Glenn Packiam.

The release of the album has also brought to my attention how social media websites have changed how albums are marketed.  The word gets round everyone so much faster about how good (or bad) an album is.  Judging by the speedy climb Ragamuffin Soul had on the overall iTunes chart on release day, people liked this record.  Well done Carlos.

• Your Name -GREAT BALOCHE COVER!
• God Of Second Chances
• We Will Worship You
• No Words

BYRD:

• God of Second Chances
• No Words
• Grace Already Won
• Your Name – scared me b/c Phil Wickham already covered this tune…BUT (don’t tell Phil or Paul) this one is better
• Can’t Start this Fight

MAHONEY

• God of Second Chances
• No Words
• We Will Worship You

VANCE:

• Rain It Down
• God Of Second Chances
• We Will Worship You
• No Words
• Jesus Saves
• Your Name

KLAMPERT: While they are all usable…these are the ones I would consider using

• Your name -GREAT BALOCHE COVER!
• God Of Second Chances
• We Will Worship You
• No Words

BYRD:

• God of Second Chances – can’t wait to do this one!
• Grace Already Won – or this one!
• We Will Worship You
• No Words
• Jesus Saves
• We Will Dance
• Your Name

MAHONEY:

• God of Second Chances
• Jesus Saves
• Your Name (I like this better than the Baloche original)
• We Will Worship You

VANCE:

• Rain It Down
• God Of Second Chances
• We Will Worship You
• No Words
• Because Of You
• Shine On
• Jesus Saves
• In Your Presence
• Your Name

KLAMPERT: I have been a sojourn fan for a long time now and when I met neil and kate at a sojourn show I found out they are in another band. This had me very excited so I went home and checked out their music. Then This CD showed up at my door to review.
I put it in and instantly wet myself. It is absolutely brilliant. This CD is victorian, theatrical, killer rock with haunting vocals and extremely well written lyrics. Neil as a musician and producer is my hero. I mean this guy is SICK! 
I don’t think everybody will like this CD because in the word of cookie cutter crap rock this is a definite departure. 
I am a guy who loves the doors loves Nirvana and at same time has seen “miss saigon” on broadway so this was right up my alley.

BYRD: Sometimes there comes a band/artist that I’ve been given through a friend and it just stumps me. Like it makes my brain hurt because in a culture where everything fits into nice neat categories and subcategories, I just come with preconceived notions of what I think I’m going to get and yet said band just turns everything upside down and on it’s end and my curiosity and peaked interest totally outweigh my like or dislike.
Dirt Poor Robins is like that! I don’t know how to classify them. They have flair for the drama like a mixture of Queen and Muse and then just some raucous vintage shred happening alongside beautiful piano riffs and with these huge female vocals. I hear Meatloaf and I hear Kill Bill 2. I hear Gungor and I hear Evanescence. I hear a movie soundtrack and I hear pop/rock. I’m appalled by a violent shooting and lulled to sleep by a dreamy nightingale! Um..yeah! Hahaha!  It’s so stinking thick and layered and I think it’s beautiful and then at times I think it’s busy-ness! ARGH!

Attempting to summarize my jibba jabba: I am stunned and wowed by this musical experience! It’s the perfect CD for slot 3 in your 6 disc in your car! You won’t listen to it every day, but after 2 CDs of “My Favorite Band,” Dirt Poor Robins will kick in and it’ll literally rock your world! You’ll listen to it non-stop, passing up your house and work just so you can finish the CD and when it’s done you’ll have to go grab a burger and a milk shake. They’ll then become your favorite band even though you won’t listen to them again until you get around the horn and back to slot 3 in your 6 disc CD changer!

MAHONEY: I seriously wanted to like this record.  I love Sojourn’s music for its brilliance and creativity.  I awaited this album anxiously, and tore into it as soon as I got.

Caveat: be prepared for something completely different when you listen to this record.  Put away any pre-conceived notions of what worship music sounds like, or even what a rock record sounds like.   This record changes the game in the same way Queen’s A Night at the Opera did.  You’d better be ready.

That said, not all of it worked for me.  I applaud the Robins for what they tried to accomplish.  This is seriously out-of-the-box music.  The musicianship, especially the guitar work, is simply awesome.  Kate Robin’s voice is hauntingly beautiful.  The songs are lyrically poetic and deeply profound.  But there was a sense of theater to it, an over-the-top vibe that I found hard to lock into.  There were some tunes that I really liked.   “Leviathan” is awesome.  And I do think that this record will continue to grow on me.  It’s certainly worth a listen.

VANCE: I met Neil and Kate Robins when the performed as part of Sojourn Worship at Joel’s church in Rhode Island.  They amazed me with their talents then so I was really excited to find out about Dirt Poor Robins just recently.

The Last Days Of Leviathan did not disappoint.  In fact, it simply blew me away.  It is that awesome.  This album for me is pure rock & roll.  All rock & roll albums should sound like this.

The lyrics are deep and intelligent, and from the first song the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.  I previewed the album on my blog a while back, describing their sound as a mix of Queen, Muse and a hint of Mika.  I still stand by that.

I totally love Joel’s description though back on his blog, especially the addition of an Alice In Wonderland book.  You’ll understand why if you see them in concert, or browse some concert photos on their website.  Dirt Poor Robins deliver the whole package.

• I shot a man
• Alibi
• Jim Jones –
• Human after all – LOVE THIS ONE!
• Leviathan -
• Sonnet to science -
• with slander for a blade
• the fall of an aviatrix – YEAH BABY!
• nightingale – yummy!

BYRD:

• Alibi
• Jim Jones
• Human After All
• Leviathan
• With Slander for a Blade
• The Fall of an Aviatrix
• Nightingale

MAHONEY

• Alibi
• Leviathan
• The Fall of an Aviatrix

VANCE:

• I Shot A Man
• Alibi
• Human After All
• Leviathan
• Sonnet to Science
• Nightingale

BYRD:

• Jim Jones – HA…no I’m serious…no I’m not…maybe I am? Go check it out yourself

MAHONEY:

VANCE:

Nope.

KLAMPERT: The end of an era…I honestly can’t fathom this. I remember the first time I heard the crack of the snare on “did you feel the mountains tremble’ and how that changed EVERYTHING. I remember seeing them live and in awe of their talent, but amazed at how these rock stars put all of the glory on God.

This DVD captures the band that changed worship music in the 90′s and has contributed to so much in the lines of artistry in music. This is just pure energy and amazing worship that takes you right in to the throne room of both God and delay heaven.

These guys will be sorely missed and the end of the DVD I found myself wiping a tear as I saw the whole families come on stage crying. Ugh…just so much on this DVD wrecks me and helps me in the end keep my eyes on Christ.

I hate to even compare them to anything but for those who haven’t seen Delirious, this night of worship…and let’s just be clear about that from the start! It’s worship people! But this night of worship is like Foo Fighters and Coldplay mixed in a blender with some U2 goodness! Now that’s really cheapening the whole thing because I’m convinced Delirious doesn’t got after what’s been done before and capitalize on it, but that should give you an indication of what you’re getting here.

There’s some fun nostalgia moments here and the band easily goes through like 3 wardrobe changes but this is one and half hours of insane worship and truly real moments with the band and the audience that really transports you to the bands Farewell Show.

I have never been the hugest delirious? fan, although some of their songs I do like a lot.  I love playing “History Maker.”   We did receive their last release, History Makers, and passed on it, because it was just a compilation album.  That’s what I thought this was going to be, but it was more.

The video is gorgeously shot, with some great angles, and beautiful edits.  From the opening shot of the band silhouetted behind the curtain, to the final bow, it is captivating.  Martin Smith seems serene throughout the entire show, as if completely resolved to the path the band was taking.  One notable part is during “Deeper,” where he hands his bullhorn down to someone in the audience,  saying he won’t need it anymore.  Another amazing part was original drummer Stew Smith joining Paul Evans for a huge jam.  One particularly touching moment was Smith calling his daughter out during “Majesty” so that she could hang on daddy”s back while he sang.    And  of course, there was that curtain call.   I’ve watched a lot of concert videos, but this one really touched me.

As a side note, I brought this video along to a men’s encounter weekend I was at, and played it during a break.  The guys were totally captivated by it.  That should say something.

It’s kind of sad watching what is the last Delirious concert.  Of course, there may be the odd reunion, but this is it, arguably the biggest influencers in modern Christian worship music for close to 20 years are bowing out.  During the concert Martin Smith gives away his megaphone, “This is for you, I don’t need it any more”.

I’m glad for the UK fans that the farewell concert was in London.  I know of one person (Matt Papa) who traveled from the US to London to see them play for the last time – and I bet it was worth it.

The concert looks amazing on DVD.  The guys look very relaxed, happy and delivered a super show as usual.  The stage setup is brilliant with large screens and plenty of lighting effects!  I love how the screens merged old video footage of the songs with their stage performance in which they are wearing the same outfits.

The crowd were absolutely mad for it and the energy comes through in the DVD.

• Bliss – brings the rawk
• Solid Rock
• Sanctify – like CHURCH happens!
• Obsession – for anyone who wants to know how to PLAY an eBow!
• Rain Down
• Majesty – crowd participation is moving
• Investigate
• History Makers
• My Soul Sings

• Majesty
• History Maker
• Deeper
• Investigate (two drummers!!)

The version of My Soul Sings at the end is very emotional for Martin and the band.  I wish I could have been there.

• My Soul Sings – needs to be sung in every congregation across the world. Love that song!

I’m not going to waste space listing delirious? songs for church.  You know what they are!

BYRD: The Justin Teseniar Band is a band I was previously unfamiliar with but they’ve packed enough into their 8 song CD, Holding on to Hope to give new fans a great introduction to the band. I was especially pleased finding a “behind the scenes” video to their song Beyond Amazing, which gives me one more facet of the ‘who‘ behind the JTB. It’s tricky here comparing artists like the David Crowder*Band to artists like the Justin Teseniar Band because one obviously has the upper hand when it comes to resources and advice for input that the other. But it also makes it exciting to see what artists are doing on the ground floor. I was surprised by how much I liked the JTB. I find that they have some really great ideas when it comes to their songs. There are some really great choruses found here. They were also more layered than I anticipated using multiple backing vocals, multiple guitars, and bleeps and bloops to add some depth to their sound. There’s also a good mix of driving songs and intimate ballads.

The JTB has put it all out there. I don’t know enough about what the professionals do in the recording process. It seems what’s missing from this project it the “Awesome Knob” that needs to be cranked. Not sure if that comes from the mixing or the mastering or the producing? That thing that is hard to put your finger on…feels like the necessary components are here but it’s missing…that…whatever that is. It’ll be exciting to see where they go. It would absolutely be a delight to see these guys live in worship.

MAHONEY: One of the best parts about writing for this site is getting music from unsigned bands and ministries looking to get the word out about what they’re doing.  The Justin Teseniar Band is one of those groups.  And they are well worth a listen.

There is a lot of drive and energy on this record.  I wish that the vocals were a little farther up in the mix, because these guys have something to say.  There is nothing that’s going to make you jump out and think we’ve discovered something new and radical, but there is a lot of good, solid music.   The musicianship and production will make you take another look at what a good, unsigned band can offer.

VANCE: I previewed this album a while back on my blog, so some of you will know my connection to the band.  The Justin Teseniar Band is a worship ministry that exists to lead the young and old alike into God’s presence.  Their passion and dedication to this is very real and it’s comes through in their music as the songs are very lively and energetic.

The Justin Teseniar Band have the potential to have big impact nationwide and further afield.  Their recent addition to the life and faith tour is evidence of them starting to get noticed.

The album contains eight original worship songs, all suitable for church use.  There is a great range of fist pumping anthems, to slower, more worshipful songs.  The band are not yet signed to a label, so this album was independently recorded and is an amazing achievement considering the budget bigger bands have.  The future is big for these guys.

BYRD:

• Only Hope
• God of Glory
• Stand in Awe
• Beyond Amazing
• Ninety One

• Only Hope
• Beyond Amazing
• This is Hope

There’s not a bad song on here, but these are my favorite.

• Rescue (Only Hope)
• God Of Glory
• This Is Hope
• Beyond Amazing
• Ninety One

Watch the official video for Beyond Amazing here.

BYRD:

• God of Glory
• Beyond Amazing

Really, any of these songs might be appropriate or church.  I can really hear:

• This is Hope
• Glory of God
• Beyond Amazing

VANCE: As I said earlier, all the songs have a place in church depending on your musical style.  For me I would start with the following songs:

• Rescue (Only Hope)
• God Of Glory
• This Is Hope
• Beyond Amazing