Minnesota band River Valley Worship has been quietly creating records independently for several years, but were picked up by BEC Recordings for their 2018 outing, Million Lifetimes. From the outside, it looks like another cliche worship endeavor, however, as you dive deeper into the album, you'll see the band has a sincere, burning passion for Christ -- and lyrical creativity that helps set it apart from other worship releases.
The album bursts out of the gate with two upbeat tracks, "Chain Reaction" and "All This Time." While both seem to be aimed at a younger audience, they aren't overdone to the point where an older listener wouldn't be able to worship along. However, as the album progresses, it starts to mature, both musically and lyrically. After slowing down for "Wanna Be Like You" and the title track, the album starts to find a groove as it beautifully meshes acoustic and electronic elements. Songs like "Hope Has a Name," "Clean" and "Calvary's Shadow" showcase the band's ability to shape worship cliches in a fresh and creative way, with lyrics such as: "Jesus Messiah / the Rose of Calvary / Trampled beauty / Your blood poured out for me / With a sound / grace echoed through the skies / It is finished / the cry of love divine." The album ends on a beautiful note with "Promised One" and "World Needs Jesus" - the latter being a passionate urge to spread God's light in this dark, hurting world. The message portrayed is clear: Jesus is the Answer, and He is the only answer to all the pain we all face in the world.
While the team over at River Valley Worship have created an enjoyable worship album, it has its flaws. Songs like "Chain Reaction" and "In Rhythm" just come off as bland and contrived compared to deeper tracks like "Clean" and "Victory," and hold the album back from what it could be. Generally speaking, Million Lifetimes definitely has its peaks, but unfortunately those peaks come along with some valleys in between. All in all, if you're looking for some fresh music to play during a service, or just a fan of the worship genre as a whole, you'll want to give this album a spin.
- Review date: 4/16/18, written by James Larsen of Jesusfreakhideout.comRecord Label: BEC Recordings
PFR Launch GoFundMe Campaign in Support of New Studio Album! Fri, 03 May 2024 22:40:00 EST |
Trampolines Brings Hope and Humanitarian Aid to War-Torn Ukraine Fri, 03 May 2024 22:20:00 EST |
Zaq Monroe Defines Faith in Action with Punk-Flavored Hip-Hop Single, "The Outsiders" Fri, 03 May 2024 22:00:00 EST |
Crowder Earns His Fifth No. 1 with "Grave Robber"; New Single Out Today Fri, 03 May 2024 16:20:00 EST |
Wande Teams Up with Lecrae for New Single, "Send That" Fri, 03 May 2024 16:20:00 EST |
Gospel Music Association Celebrates Construction Kick-off for Museum Fri, 03 May 2024 15:55:00 EST |
Indie Pop Duo Clemency Deliver New Anthem, "Victory" Fri, 03 May 2024 15:45:00 EST |
New Studies Link Improved Mental Health to Use of Digitally-Delivered Faith and Prayer Thu, 02 May 2024 20:42:48 +0000 |
DAD TIRED FOUNDER JERRAD LOPES EXPANDS POPULAR MINISTRY WITH DEBUT CHILDREN’S TITLE Wed, 10 Apr 2024 17:07:46 +0000 |
“Anything Goes” by Andrew Kerhoulas of Brother K Thu, 04 Apr 2024 02:54:00 +0000 |