Jesusfreakhideout.com: Andy Squyres, "Miracle Service

JFH Indie Review

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Andy Squyres
Miracle Service - EP

Album length: 4 tracks: 16 minutes, 56 seconds
Style: Folk Pop
Street Date: June 6, 2025

Andy Squyres is perhaps the best kept secret of the indie Christian scene. If I had to put him in a box, I'd describe him as an indie worship artist akin to John Mark McMillan. But then you might look at the track list of his latest EP, Miracle Service, and wonder how tracks titled "Baja Blast" or "Jeff Buckley" have anything to do with worship. That, my friend, is the treasure trove that is Squyres' music: the down-to-earth discovery of finding worship in the menial, everyday things. Tired of repetitive choruses full of overused cliches? Consider the almost stream-of-consciousness approach Squyres employs on his latest EP.

In many ways, the short 4 tracks of Miracle Service serve as an encapsulation of where Squyres has come from. The muted pop/folk sound of 2015's Cherry Blossoms returns, though this time mixed with the gut-level maturity of 2021's Poet Priest. The result is a little EP that gently pushes back against hopeless postmodernism with songs mixed with humor, hope, tragedy, and realism. These tracks are at once contemplative and thought-provoking while carrying melodies that encourage the listener to sing along (especially with strong choruses on the title track and "Jeff Buckley").

The message of these songs stares open-eyed at the struggles we face, but never loses sight of the hope we have in Christ. Each song deals with this in its own way, but "Baja Blast" serves as the greatest example. While recounting the funeral of a friend who passed from cancer, Squyres sings, "I moaned a bitter moaning/I sang the sweetest song/With my disappointed people/To our disappointing God." However, he follows this up with the pastor admitting he didn't have answers. Then Squyres sings, "That is when we knew our precious Lord was in our midst." This is the kind of tenacious faith Squyres leads his listeners to: one that doesn't take failure and pain as a reason to doubt. Instead, faith endures. It is all at once child-like and full of depth. This is expressed when a choir of children join the chorus of the title track to sing, "Dash me on the Rock of Ages/Let me break as darkness rages/Anything to feel Your love again."

While it's been a while since Andy Squyres has released a package of music like this, he hasn't been entirely silent. His Poet Priest essay books have filled the void somewhat as well as a single ("Death Defying Joy"). However, the return of a multi-track release (even if it's only 4 tunes) is a welcome one. If you're at a point in your faith where you need something beyond trite sayings and expressions, there's a Miracle Service you should check out.

- Review date: 6/16/25, written by John Underdown of Jesusfreakhideout.com

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JFH Staff's Second Opinion

Every so often, an artist captures the sacred and scarred in a single breath, crafting a confession more than a performance. Andy Squyres has built a career on this tension, exploring the power-laden space between doubt and devotion with poetry as reverent as it is sharp. With his 2025 EP, Miracle Service, Squyres doesn't just continue this tradition, he elevates it, delivering four of the most affecting tracks of the year in what I'll call the growing canon of "faith-haunted music."

"Gutter Punk" opens with intricate guitar picking, pulsating electronic percussion, and lyrics more akin to Kerouac than K-LOVE. It's Squyres at his most prophetically poetic -- a street preacher's hymn, part elegy, part anthem for a faith that limps while singing. "I can't afford to live in this economy/The Spirit of the Lord has got a hold on me/Buckle up if you insist/Drinking of this eucharist," he sings with weary yet hopeful conviction. The production feels intimate, with human-tinged stuttering drums and a voice that sounds like it's channeled through an old amp and a worn heart. This draws listeners in, showcasing Squyres' lyrical prowess and Jacob Early's deft production.

The title track, "Miracle Service," melds electronic percussion with gentle guitar, urging listeners to live in the present: "Never mind the future/Turn off your computer/The side effect of faith is you get a sense of humor." The chorus pleads, "Dash me on the Rock of Ages/Let me break as darkness rages/Anything to feel Your love again." Its raw honesty resonates deeply, and I doubt I'll be alone in feeling its solidarity. "Baja Blast" is Squyres' most surprising and tender track yet. It's brought me to tears with every listen, and I'll leave it at that for you to discover. It may be one of his finest songs.

Finally, a worshipful song titled "Jeff Buckley" wasn't on my 2025 bingo card, but it's a bold, brilliant move. Naming a track after the late alt-rock icon, Squyres crafts a love letter to doubt. "There is more to life than economic pressure/We are earthen vessels overflowing treasure/In the age of doubt, all that's left is to sing," he concludes simply. Ardent yet hushed, nostalgic yet mournful, it's a stunning closer.

Miracle Service is jagged yet tender, weary yet worshipful. These songs aren't for Sunday morning playlists; they're for the after-midnight crowd wrestling with grace's reality. Listen closely, and you'll hear God haunting every note. - Review date: 6/14/25, written by Josh Balogh of Jesusfreakhideout.com