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Since Anthony Evans’s 2006 sophomore release,
Letting Go, he has offered a praise and worship
cover project (The Bridge) and a recent Christmas
album (What Christmas Means) leading up to his
third project, Undisguised. The title of Evans’s
latest album comes from his desire to approach
worship with honesty and without any masks. An
admirable theme to be sure, but when the album
finishes, I can’t help but wonder if Evans’s own
message might have been more effective had he
shown a more vulnerable part of himself in his
songwriting rather than simply spinning lyrics
which have been recycled far too many times over
years. While the song titles don’t reveal the
heart of Undisguised in its entirety, they do offer
an effective look into the albums’ lyrics.
Although “You Alone” and “All That Matters”
aren’t the popular singles which permeated
contemporary Christian radio, Evans’s “Mighty To
Save” is Laura Story’s often covered hit. With
the exception of the personal “Could It Be,” the
eleven track-album is entirely devoted to praise
and worship songs which aren’t short on clichés
or platitudes. On “Everything,” Evans offers the
line, “When I’m unfaithful, you remain the one
thing that won’t change;” powerful, but not
exactly the most original insight going.
Sadly, the music on the first eight tracks doesn’t
compensate enough for the often lacking lyrics.
Essentially, Evans’s template is worship, but his
fine voice and reoccurring choir support give the music a
gospel influence. Within the first three quarters
of Undisguised there aren’t many highlights
except for the opening pop tune “The Stand” and
the upbeat gospel song “You Alone” which could
appeal to fans of Mandisa. The true redeeming
aspect of the album lies within the final four
tracks which include three of the project's best
moments. Both “All That Matters” and “Could It
Be” are solid piano-driven pop tunes, while the
finale features strong vocals from Evans. In
prospective, Anthony Evans’s best moments
somewhat pale in comparison to CCM’s giants, but,
ultimately, the lack of inventive lyrics is the
defining factor which leaves Undisguised as an average worship album.
- Review date: 1/24/10, written by Nathaniel Schexnayder of Jesusfreakhideout.com
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