Get Your Music on Amazon!
Get Your Music on Amazon!

JFH Indie Review

JFH Indie Music Spotlight Review

Paul Zach
CLICK COVER TO ENLARGE


Paul Zach
Hymns

Album length: 10 tracks
Style: Hymns / Worship / Acoustic
Street Date: February 5, 2021
Buy It: iTunes



Hymns will always provide us a deep well to drink from. We Christians are privileged to share a history of evocative lyrics married with structurally sound music. The trend of this century is to take these hymns and place them in diverse settings, be it wild reharmonizations or unique melodic directions. Paul Zach chose a different path. The album is as simply set as its title, and if you're familiar with his debut EP, or his work with The Porter's Gate, this record's acoustic ambience should come as no surprise. Hymns forsakes innovative interpretation for casual and quiet expression.

If any claim of experimentation could be made about this record, it's that some of these hymns haven't really been placed in the folksy and bluesy temperaments that unite this tracklist. This is most obvious on "I Want Jesus To Walk With Me," which feels almost like a western in its progression, as well as "No Not One," perhaps the energetic pinnacle of the album. More often than not, though, Zach gives us tracks like "All Hail The Power" and "Crown Him With Many Crowns" that feel more like he just picked up his guitar, played it how he played it, and left it at that. That's certainly not a bad thing: Zach's fragile, light falsetto and understated performances from some of his friends (Liz Vice, Leslie Jordan, and Page CXVI to name a few) is pleasant enough to carry the album. Just know that what you get on track 1 is what you will get all the way through track 10.

Searching for a lyrical reasoning for this particular selection of hymns may be misguided, but certain themes do seem to persist. The intimacy of a relationship with God, a desire for His peace, and a recognition of His power flows through the album. It's also interesting to note that a lot of these tunes come in thematic pairs. The acoustic and stand-up bass combo on "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" makes for a light-hearted exploration of trusting Jesus, but "I Want Jesus To Walk With Me" provides the desperate counterpart to that experience. Similarly, "All Hail The Power" and "Crown Him With Many Crowns" come back-to-back and carry over a lot of the same imagery. Cohesion is one thing this album accomplishes to a notedly satisfying degree.

With Hymns, Zach chose not to reinvent the wheel. Rather, it's clear that these songs were prepared in a way that inspires peaceful listening and playing or singing along. The absence of percussion keeps the energy low, but contemplative quietude prevails, and these versions will be nice additions to the ever-descending well of hymnal interpretation.

- Review date: 2/2/21, written by Mason Haynie of Jesusfreakhideout.com



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Purchase Original Art Prints, Drawings, Buttons, Stickers, Bookmarks and more from JFH's own John DiBiase!

 

. Record Label: None, exclusively distributed by Integrity Music
. Album length: 10 tracks
. Street Date: February 5, 2021
. Buy It: iTunes

  1. Just a Closer Walk With Thee (featuring Page CXVI)
  2. No Not One (featuring The Sing Team)
  3. The Lord's Prayer (featuring Leslie Jordan)
  4. I Want Jesus to Walk With Me (featuring Liz Vice)
  5. Holy, Holy, Holy (featuring Leslie Jordan)
  6. Come Thou Fount (featuring Taylor Leonhardt)
  7. The Lord Is My Shepherd (featuring Page CXVI)
  8. All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name (featuring Liz Vice)
  9. Crown Him With Many Crowns (featuring Taylor Leonhardt)
  10. Take My Life and Let It Be (featuring Liz Vice)

 

 

 

go to main Indie review page
go to Indie Review Index

 

                 
Purchase Original Art Prints, Drawings, Buttons, Stickers, Bookmarks and more from JFH's own John DiBiase!

Search JFH




This Wednesday, March 13, 2024
ALBUMS
Chris Renzema Manna [Centricity]

This Friday, March 15, 2024
ALBUMS
Apollo LTD Dreaming - EP [Centricity]
The Inspirations The Legacy Continues [Horizon]
Barbara Mandrell Precious Memories: 20 Hymns & Gospel Classics [Gaither]
Katy Nichole Jesus Changed My Life (Deluxe) [Centricity]
Katy Nichole Jesus Changed My Life (Deluxe Bonus Video Version) [Centricity]
Seph Schlueter Counting My Blessings - EP [Provident]
Seventh Day Slumber Fractured Paradise [RockFest]
Spoken Reflection [XOVR]
Still Worship Still Worship Lofi, Vol. 2 [Integrity]
Tedashii Dead or Alive, Pt. 2 - EP [Reach]
Chris Tomlin Live from Good Friday [Capitol CMG]

SINGLES
Above the Clouds For God's Sake [Remix] - Single [Polished Arrow]
Big Daddy Weave Let It Begin - Single [Curb]
Convictions Sleeping Lotus - Single (independent)
Christine D'Clario Lift Your Head Up - Single [Capitol CMG]
EmanuelDaProphet VICIOUS CYCLE - Single [Capitol CMG]
Future of Forestry Forever - Single (independent)
Iveth Luna Right On Time - Single [Red Street]
New Life Worship Where the Story Ends - Single [Integrity]
Newsboys Heaven On Earth - Single [Capitol CMG]
REVERE RED (O The Blood) - Single [Integrity]
The Rocky Valentines Stick it Out - Single [Velvet Blue]
Sound Street Mountains Will Fall - Single [Sonlite]
Vineyard Worship Real Thing - Single [Vineyard UK]
Phil Wickham The Jesus Way (Hometown Version) - Single [Fair Trade]

Next Friday, March 22, 2024
ALBUMS
Meredith Andrews Heaven's Frequency (Live) [Curb]
Jaime Jamgochian Sacred Surrender [Wings]
Whitecross Fear No Evil (independent)

SINGLES
Big Daddy Weave Let It Begin - Single [Curb]
Hannah Kerr If I Were You - Single [Curb]
Mac Powell Like It's Nothing - Single [Capitol CMG]
We The Kingdom Church Music - Single [Capitol CMG]


For all release dates, click here!
 



Listen to the new album from Trey Tate!




Listen to the new Album From Tim Juillet!

Check out depositphotos for royalty free images