3 Soft Rock Gospel Music Albums: A Review

To begin with, I am still undecided on what to call this post. I am held between worlds, between excitements and between fanatisms... because that's exactly what music does to me.

Well, I've given it a title anyways...

I love music. I can talk about music all day. I can. I can sing all day. I get crazy. I hit my headphones to 15. I jump. I yell. I dance. I can play a song I love all day... I love the stuff I listen to. I enjoy it, so I write about it.

So, here goes;

Now, this year seems to be turning my mind around as far as soft rock Gospel music (a genre of music that blends pop music, worship music, alternative and rock music acoustics genres) is concerned. I don't want to go overboard with all that, but boy! to say the least, the kind of music bands are pulling out nowadays is way above normal. The level unto which worship is rising (as far as music and singing is concerned) is indicative of Heaven opening to earth and we guys singing with the angles. True. Very true.

Take for instance the first album I met this year: Passion 2013's "Let the Future Begin". When Louie Giglio was ranting about it on twitter, I was like, "Okay, everyone rants about a new album... This will come and go." Worse still, it came about the same time Chris Tomlin was doing his Burning Lights tour, and I thought it was mere publicity. But wait, what caught my attention is the inclusion of Lecrae and Kari Jobe in his tour, and these guys (Tomlin and Kari Jobe) were posting stuff on Instagram showing the mad moves Tomlin was doing while singing "God's Great Dance Floor" (Track No. 5 on Burning Lights). Well, that caught my eye. It happened to be that, that very song is Track No. 1 on "Let the Future Begin". You can only imagine how excited I was... Passion's project was going to be a hit after all!

Yeah, "Let the Future Begin" did not disappoint and thus far, has not disappointed. Passion's greatest strength is bringing together different gifted singers onto one platform and making one album out of all of them. It made this album have a touch of genric hybridization (whatever that means), thus possessing and belonging to its own league of uniqueness.

The album is inclusive of (as it is the annual Passion culture) several musicians and bands. Out of the 14 tracks, Tomlin is the lead vocalist in 4 tracks, Kristian Stanfill leads 4 more, Matt Redman is the main vocalist in 2 tracks, while Christy Nockels, Brett Younker, Kari Jobe and David Crowder band lead a song each. Probably the guys you miss on this project are Charlie Hall band...

Lecrae (check out these playlists on YouTube) was a guest in the Conference held in March - but was not included in the album itself.

After falling victim to Passion 2013's project, I was privileged to get another enticing project from Jesus Culture : "Live from New York", a project which features one Martin Smith (who is on 7 out of 16 songs on the album). By the way if you know that group Delirious? (of the "Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?" and "I Could Sing of Your Love" fame), you know Martin Smith. He has been one of their foremost lead worshippers for a long time.

Kim Walker-Smith is on this project too - doing her thing as usual. Her voice pitches you into addiction to three tracks: Holy Spirit, Pursuit and Waiting Here for You (with Martin Smith). Chris Quilala features in 6 songs. Considering the growth these guys have undergone (they begun as a youth band featuring three guys as lead vocalists: Chris Quilala, Kim Walker - right before she got married till now - and Melissa How), this project is one level above many others... but I leave it to you to make your own judgement on that.

And last, but utmostly relevant, is Hillsong's second project this year: "Glorious Ruins."

As I write this post, the album is running in the background on repeat. I'm loving it. I'm loving it 20 times more than I even tried to like "Zion" (their first album this year). To me, Zion was a bit weird - too contemporary... well that's a story for another day; but what do you say of an album which out of the available 18 songs, you only happen to play 3 of them and skip the rest?

Glorious Ruins carries one central message: ruins can be brought to life, ruins can share in God's glory and blessing... once they're fallen at his cross and learn to embrace Him...

With Hillsong's group of awesome lead worshippers (under the leadership of Reuben Morgan since 2008 after Darlene Zschech retired from being the music pastor), this project is amazing - maybe the greatest after "Cornerstone" (2012). Their creativity has cloned one song with a techno-rock fusion (Lift You Higher) - an amaaaaayzing song! And there's that Easter single (Man of Sorrows) they gave out as a free download on the Hillsong Live! website earlier on in March.

The introduction is great - more like Passion's. The arrangement of songs and their harmonious overlap is good. I think it is one thing Hillsong have perfected over time. They always know which song will follow which one, and making such a worship set enables a smooth flow of music. The album has a total of 15 songs, and you can be assured that Hillsong never disappoints when it comes to lyrical content and anthem-like shouts... My advice? Go get this album!!

Well guys, I have to stop here.

Let me leave you with the power to judge which of the three projects above really gets you into the Throne Room, because that's where we all want to be...

Keep worshipping.

Bonface Morris.

The Friendzone

"Hi *Andrew, this is my [pause] friend, Morris. [Blushes], er, meet Morris, my BFF…"

As she continues, I don't seem to hear the rest of what she is saying. I mean, how can I? My mind is heating up - cabbage style - and my hands are now accumulating sweat; even my bowels seem to perspire... My mind is like, "Oh, really? Your BFF?" Then I continue with my ranting → "How dare she blush like that in front of this ** Andrew dude? How could she be thinking of me as her BFF all this time? Huh? Am I sort-of-kind-of a bulb-fixer to her? And who is this guy anyway? This Andrew guy? Who ** does he think he is?" And it goes on and on...

Six seconds later, I realize that I am gonna be in some deep deeep etiquette hullabaloo; so I become all smiles-sweets-and-carrots, throw aside my cabbageous mode, stretch my [sweat-filled] hand to this Andrew dude we just met, and in my pretense, I go like, "Heey dude!, er, Andrew... it's good to see ya! *Trizah is a great friend of mine..." So as she takes over to continue with the introduction, I am busy scanning this dude and weighing him on the scales in my mind - just to see where he fits in her life. "Mmmmhhh," goes me, "Okay, he's cool. He has his dressing code in order. His hair is okay. His shoes,mmmmhhh, not too bad..." He had scored some 3 out of 10 there. "Who is he to Trizah anyway? Is he an old friend? A potential boyfriend, maybe? Is she attracted to him? Is this air charged when they meet?"

"Morris!", she pleads. Oh! I was almost lost there. So, in milliseconds, I try to know what the introduction could have gone like (I know how we normally drill this); so with the antiquity that comes with raised eyebrows I go like, "Yeah, it is great meeting you. Do you live around?" As he responds to my question, I continue with my labosoure behavior... Let me not go into how it all ended...

Guya, the "friendzone" is what best describes my relationship with Trizah. You see, we've been "together" for such a long time that we are nothing less and nothing more than best friends. We didn't see it coming. It just did (that kind of friendship) - and so here we are. We seem to blend and understand each other with such meticulous impeccableness. She gets me, and I get her. Floods or rain, drizzles or pain, chills or shine? We get each other. We nickname guys, do silly things together, talk about stuff... we get each other.

But this time, it was different. I swear it was different. I didn't know this guy, this Andrew guy. He whizzed himself around and spoke with such a familiarity that made me whizz too. She had never talked to me about this guy (as if she really had to). I thought I knew everything about her, but, well, I was wrong. I was worried. I was on some kind of an edge...

So, do you have (or have you ever had) a relationship like this one that existed between me and Trizah? Such where you are "good friends" with someone you are attracted to but are never courageous enough to say, "Heeey gal! It's been a while already. Can we take this, er, thingy into the next level?" The one where you find out that you somehow figure her out as more of a sister (or brother) than a lover and are fearful to break that link by bringing up this lovey-dovey stuff? Mmmmmh, I feel yah dude/dudette! I feel you. It's a friendzone.

Even though akina Doctor Love (whoever that is) say that the best lovers live as best friends, hiyo huunganishi, ama?

Okay, if you are not sure where you are, let me show you if you've been friendzoned;

1. You are good friends, and that is it. No this or that - just gooo-ooood friends. Oh my! I should pity you, but I won't. Good friends you are. Period.
2. People think that you two are an item. Mmmmmh, too bad. You can't whisk that away. So your response to him/her when you hear such rumours is like, "Oh come on Trizah! You of all people know that it can't be. You know it will never be..." Bla bla bla... But deep inside, you're hur[rrrr]ting and feeling yipeeeee-ish...
3. There are boundaries. Relationship boundaries. Well, you may talk about your "other" relationships but you never talk about how you two feel about each other. That. Is. A. Friendzone.
4. Either of you feels hurt when the other seems to be "getting on." You want them for yourself, but you have so gotten used to it that you can now live with it, somehow. Let's pray that it won't be exploding soon. Yeah, can we kneel already?

After knowing where you two stand, here are some possible solutions to you who has been friendzoned;

1. Take a step to tell your friend about how you truly feel about them before it explodes in your face - before it's too late. Be ready to deal with the aftermath, because things can really fly nasty.
2. Tell them if you are thinking of getting into a serious relationship (whatever that means) with someone else. Prepare them psychologically to deal with the fact that "you're moving on".
3. Break that emotional attachment between the two of you - that mind-reading thing. It may be the most difficult to break away from, but it's always worthy it. Save your coming relationship(s), my friend.

Good luck with that!!

Side note: *Trizah and *Andrew only exist somewhere in my thinks.



Bonface Morris.

Life

Seemingly, there's something I need to be doing right now... Something like ("peeple" et al) reading, or maybe making academic discussions, and so forth and so on... because (truth be said) here are exams yelling at me, and that should be the best thing to do: read, read and read (as I am expected to); but well, the typical me cares less. Okay, let me set this right: I don't "CARE LESS" but I "care less." Got it? Good.

So, I care less about exams and their fever, and the madness they throw at (and into) people; and the running up and down while formulating funny group discussions, and the fear on people's faces... I care less about all those things that are attached to "too much" studying. I am lazy. In fact, you should never come to me while seeking for advice concerning studies and education. I am not your best consultant in such matters. No, I'm not. You don't take advice from a guy who watches 3 to 4 episodes of a favorite movie prior examinations, do you? But I'm just being practical and real: I don't love school. Worse still, I hate exams. Everyone hates exams, yeah, everyone... (so I think). I hate school because school grounds me. And oh my! how I hate being grounded! I am sincere. I hate school. Yes, kill me already, but that's just me... I always wish someone would just step up out of nowhere, study on my behalf, do my exams, pass them and leave me rolling out here doing, er, nothing. That's just me. I love being myself... Don't mistake me. Don't judge me either. I don't "HATE" school, but I do "hate" school. The difference? I don't know. Use Google. He/she might help.

And with all that going on in my life right here, right now, I replay in my mind things life has taught me. Things like: pretenders die first, fast. And others like: I only have one life - the one I have, the one God has taught me. Just one. The rest is a mystery... With that in mind, I have learnt to fall in love with who I truly am. Why? First, it is the best thing one can do for themselves; then, there is one good thing about being yourself: you don't struggle to become "it". Nope! You already are "it".

That's why I've chosen to keep my notepad busy when everyone else is doing whatever they do best. Today is one of those days I do exactly that: maintain being myself. And as always, I'll never blame anyone after passing or failing my exams. It's my fault baby, it's all my fault...

Many things happening around me of late have gotten me thinking. You see, life has many decisions to undertake in order "to make it". Some are stupid (the decisions). Some are wise. We ALL have fallen victim of both. Some have made us regret why we EVER, yes, EVER made them, while others have made us beam with pride and raise our heads up high. It has all been upon us... We all have enjoyed somewhere in life, and we all have wept. Sometimes it's for the wrong reasons, while other times it's for the right ones... We choose to live this life like we gonna, then we start living it like we wanna... it is all up to us. We should blame no one. We should hold no one accountable for our choices... That's just another lesson I'm still learning...

I always want to learn from my own experiences. Yes, I may have few, but that's the only way I learn faster and I understand better. Maybe you ain't like me, but I'll show you why I choose to do so;

1. I am of the mindset that I am the only one who can ever be "me". No one else can ever teach me to be "me" than myself and God. The two of us are the best collabo in making "me". So I'd rather learn from us than from anyone else.
2. I am proud. I don't go well with someone wanting to show me "all the stuff that there is to be known." I'd rather do it myself and suffer along the way... but with my ego "intact."
3. How else will I discover new ways of doing stuff unless I try it myself? Tell me, how else? So, God help me.

To finish up, life has taught me to take risks. Sometimes it is not because I WANTED to, but because I HAD to... I have taken risks in my relationships, risks in my day-to-day life, risks with God, risks with friends, risks with my family (which I so much miss so many times), risks with love, risks with finances, risks with my mingling leadership, work and education. Risks...

And I still have to wake up tomorrow morning and tell myself, "You know what Morris? It's another day booy! Bless the Lord your God, and let's go out there, get it started and make it work..."

And life goes on. It never stops. The challenges never stop. My heart never stops. Betrayals never stop. Blame games never stop. Gossip behind your back never stops. Stalkers, spies and detectives never stop doing their thang on you. Academics never stop. Work never stops. Even worship itself never stops... Nothing ever stops. Life goes on... and unless I stop it by allowing stuff to bulk in my way (bitterness, grudges, unforgiveness, pain, hurts, words from peeple... stuff), or unless God does, it will still go on... it shall never stop... until we meet with eternity... never ending...

Yes, that is life.


BonfaceMorris.

"Harangues"

"Bliss and pain beget journeys," they say; and they also say, "After journeys, everyone's gut is an attorney..."

God has been wondering, yes, God... He has been wondering about the essence of human drive. Not because He has been wanting to understand mankind, but because He has been understanding mankind all along: his autonomous shrieks, his unending desires, his pains and how he heals them... just many thinks...
And He has whispered into my ear about it... Okay, I'm just an ordinary boy. Yes, I am ordinary, and I am comfortable with that; but nothing (blame my thinks) suits purpose like something ordinary...
So, in my vamped ordinary behavior, I'll write this (about man when trying [at his most] to charm, and mostly, to wrestle with God):

We peeple are interesting...

We want God to honor us, pamper us and esteem us, but do we do the same for/to Him?
We want Him to fight our battles and shred our enemi(es), but how many times have we failed to hack his enemies to pieces, the very ones that dwell in us? Many times.
We want testimonies of Him blessing us and our narratives of "His great and awesome Hand", but have we blessed Him or testified of His greatness?

We are not His friends, while we demand for great friendships, families and relationships,
We are not His flock (if we ever have thought we are, it is when the lion is pawing at us), yet we demand the offings of His staff
We are mean, yet we want Him to enrich us, abound us and supply us with plenty
We play games with His Words, we wander and totter and clamp ourselves to fusions of debauchery
Then we sit awake and await peace and tranquility... and just as summer evades winter, so do they...

If we continually create war, and feed it, and hide it
And if we serially eat trash, and feed it, and hide it
God has no place in us
He has no command over us...

Darkness earnestly looks for us, because light is not the one thing we chase after
After we are lost seeking, then we will deft in the days after
God, yes, God waits in the dark, and He does want to "feel lucky" finding us
Even if we run farthest, He's already there...
He still wonders when, just when, we will stop running... away...


Bonface Morris.