Review and Download: Jesus Culture “Let It Echo” (2016 Album)

Genre: Contemporary Worship Music, CEDM.

Record label: Sparrow/Jesus Culture Music

Download the album here: Jesus Culture “Let It Echo” (2016 Live Album) Full Album Download (72MB, Standard mp3 quality)

Jesus Culture's 2016 album "Let It Echo" cover art

Introduction

Jesus Culture is a community of worship leaders and musicians whose heart is to see a generation impacted by encounters with the presence of God. Originating out of the Jesus Culture movement which began in 1999, they recorded their first album in 2005 at their youth and young adult conference in Redding, CA. Since then Jesus Culture has released 9 annual live albums and over 20 solo artist albums. Jesus Culture leads worship both at their local church in Sacramento, California and abroad through conference events and worldwide tours.

Jesus Culture has sold more than one million albums worldwide since their debut project in 2005 and have garnered more than 3.8 million followers on social media and over 34.5 million views on YouTube. Jesus Culture is focused on equipping a generation to transform society by bringing people into an encounter with God’s love through worship and discipleship. The songs they release capture the heart of the movement. (TheChristianBeat)

In summary (all you may need to know about this album):

1. Let It Echo is the 9^th live album by Jesus Culture and was released in January this year.
2. It is the first album recorded live at Jesus Culture’s church in Sacramento, California, USA.
3. It debuted on four Billboard charts including the Top Albums (Top 20), Digital Albums (Top 12), Christian Albums (No. 2) and the Top 200 charts (Top 40).
4. The group will be heading out on the "Let It Echo" tour beginning on June 22.
5. This week, the group announced the release of “Let It Echo Unplugged”, which will release on June 17 (right before their tour) featuring new, acoustic recordings from the January project.

Track listing

The album features 12 tracks and it is 73 minutes 1 second long. Here is the song listing in the album with the lead singer:

1. Never Gonna Stop Singing (Kim Walker-Smith)
2. Fierce (Chris Quilala)
3. Alive In You (Kim Walker-Smith)
4. In the River (Kim Walker-Smith)
5. Let It Echo (Heaven Fall) (Chris Quilala)
6. God With Us (Bryan Torwalt)
7. Miracles (Chris Quilala)
8. Set Me Ablaze (Katie Torwalt)
9. Everything and Nothing Else (Chris McClarney)
10. In Your Presence (Kim Walker-Smith)
11. I Stand in Awe (Chris Quilala)
12. Power in the Cross (Derek Johnson)

Album art, album title, song titles and lyrical content

I love something about the album cover art: simple, intuitive and “echoing” the message from the lowlands, to the city and into the valleys and mountaintops. The effect of the echo seems to cover more ground as the sound moves further.

Considering that this project includes other members of the Jesus Culture team who have not been on board for several previous projects since 2012’s Emerging Voices, I think much thought was put in getting the album and song titles. They are precise and not misleading, and this makes it excellent.

Also, it is good to note that there is something prophetic about this newly crafted set of songs in Let It Echo. They are not your average forgettable ditties that come and go.  Rather, they are the products of hearts that have lean in to what the Holy Spirit has to say to the church.  They articulate truths God has been wanting to speak to churches in ways that can stir the currents of revival.  "Let It Echo" was not an easy album to make for this worshipping community.  Rather, the album was birthed out of an arduous labor of pain, struggles, and uncertainties. 

Take for instance the bittersweet moment that is felt when at the end of the song 'God With Us' Bryan Torwalt explains how the song came about: Bryan and his wife had lost their baby. This song story is also shared by Chris Quilala and his wife who lost their baby boy in 2014 and it inspired the writing of the song 'Miracles' as sung by Chris Quilala. Both Bryan and Chris so poignantly point out that these songs are victories for them. They speak about believing that God is still the God of miracles. They reaffirm our belief that God is still on the throne and is still able to do all things, regardless of what our situations look like.

Music style and acceptability

Let It Echo is definitely the most polished set of live albums released by Jesus Culture yet. The twelve new songs sound straight of a studio with a tight modern/rock sound, led by both Kim Walker-Smith and McClarney, along with familiar voices like Chris Quilala and Bryan & Katie Torwalt.

It represents a solid contemporary worship sound with songs that resound the urge of “echoing” the goodness and faithfulness of God in all situations.

It features both a contemporary worship sound together with an EDM undercurrent of elongated electronic beats, buoyant rhythms, and a brisk tempos.

As mentioned in the summary above, “Let It Echo” has received positive response from across the worship music lovers, performed well on top music charts and reviews upon reviews reiterate that it is one of the best albums done by Jesus Culture from since Come Away (2010).

Audibility, fluidity, quality and flow of music

The album flows well from song to song and the production is well managed. This is because (I think) several artists are featured on the album and that unlike their other worship recordings, these songs were recorded individually, during their various worship services, on different Sundays at their 1year old Jesus Culture Church in Sacramento, California.

The process really helped to remove the layers of expectation that a congregation might put on, when attending a worship concert, and instead brings us a recording that shows a more mature Jesus Culture ministering in a more intimate setting. The Jesus Culture team describes this offering to be one that captures the heart of a community seeking after Jesus with a desire to know Him more and to see this passion spread from cities to nations.

Kim Walker-Smith, as expected, gets to be the featured lead vocalist on the lion's share of the record.  She leads 4 out of the 12 cuts.  And unlike other worship teams that often delegate the softer ballads to their female leads, Walker-Smith takes on 3 power-chargers. 

Per-song Reviews

We welcome back Kim Walker-Smith’s powerful and emotive vocal with a happy dance as she opens up the album with the catchy ‘Never Gonna Stop Singing’. The song confirms that the collective has grown and no longer only caters for the younger listener. The track reminded me how much I appreciate Walker-Smith’s husky voice and effortless ability to sweep you up and take you along as she praises the King.

Chris Quilala is welcomed back with the powerful ‘Fierce’ – a mid-tempo, giant of a song that declares “Your love is fierce!” My favorite moment on the track is its bridge that takes the song down to a chant saying: “You chase me down/You seek me out/How could I be lost if you have called me found.” This is one of the many tracks on the album that are congregation friendly and will probably make its way onto many set lists. The same can be said for the catchy ‘Im alive’, which has an appealing chorus that will have you repeating it over and over.

Popular praise track, ‘In the River’, has fast become a favorite worldwide, with many churches already adding it to their Sunday set lists. The energetic, drum driven, freedom song has an easy to learn melody that simply declares “We come alive in the river!” 

Other notable cuts include ‘Power In The Cross’ led by Derek Johnson (a single from his album of last year), ‘God With Us’ by Bryan Torwalt – a worship ballad complemented by Torwalt’s rich vocals; and title track ‘Let It Echo,’ which is led by Quilala. All the three songs have the type of likable melodies and simple but moving lyrics that Jesus Culture has become known for.

The highlight on this album is a stunner of a song by vocal powerhouse, Katie Torwalt, called ‘Set Me Ablaze’. Torwalt croons and bellows with passion as she sings about having a desire for more of God. “Set me ablaze/with a single obsession!” This is one to listen to!

All in all, this shows that this is probably is one of the Jesus Culture albums yet!

Conclusion

“Let It Echo” may just be my favorite worship album of the year if Casting Crowns, Hillsong and the rest who have announced to be releasing new music soon won’t hit me with more greater stuff by the end of the year.

Keep singing.

Bonface Morris.

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.