Serving their local community in Milwaukee, WI, Life Church and its worship team,
Life Church Music (LCMSC for short), have committed to using their musical gifts for the sake of ministering and bringing honor to the Lord. Coming off of their 2022 studio album,
In Peace or Pieces I'm Complete, the collective quickly got back to releasing new music with their second live album,
Paradigms. Much of the tracklist consists of live versions of songs from last year's offering, with a handful of newer songs in the mix, as well. Stylistically, one can find a lot of similarities to popular acts like Housefires and Maverick City Music, though thankfully, LCMSC tends to go with shorter tracks that don't overstay their welcome, with only four songs that surpass the six-minute mark. But even the longer tracks don't necessarily feel longer than they need to be, as the team leads the congregation into heartfelt worship that feels and sounds a lot more authentic and organic than some worship albums do. It's also refreshing to hear songs that are not only inviting and welcoming ("Heaven Calling," "Love Welcome…"), but also truthful and bold. My favorite line is from "Gospel of My Life," which simply says, "
I believe every word of the Gospel / I believe every word is true." It's not a complicated or poetic line, but in a time when many churches are twisting Scripture or denouncing parts of it altogether, lyrics like that really stand out and are appreciated.
Paradigms is not the kind of record I'd put on just any old time, but it's a solid option if you want something easy to digest that will also refresh your spirit.
- Review date: 5/17/23, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com
(JFH Sponsor Spot)
JFH Staff's Second Opinion
Milwaukee-based
Life Church Music is back with their latest live worship album
Paradigms. The experience opens with the short semi-instrumental track, "In the Beginning," which works well to build hype. The next three songs ("Can You Hear It," "Jesus Forever," and "Even When") carry the momentum and give the album a unique feel. Starting with "Love Welcomes Me," however, the concert shifts to an all-too-familiar live worship formula that you can find on nearly any other worship album. There are bright moments (like "In Peace or Pieces"), but the momentum feels sucked out. The final track, "Heaven Calling," ends everything on a high note, but it's too little too late. The over-familiar feel doesn't necessarily equal a bad album; Life Church Music is operating at a professional level here. The audio sounds great, the musicianship is competent, and the songs themselves feel like they could easily transplant onto the next Bethel or Jesus Culture offering. There are glimpses of unique flair, but the mid to slow tempo dramatic worship song wins out in the end. As a result,
Paradigms, while a fine record on its own, fails to make much of an impression beyond its more popular counterparts. Fans of live worship records will easily find a couple tracks here worth remembering, but the rest will likely merge with other similar sounding (and similarly themed) songs on other releases.
- Review date: 5/24/23, John Underdown of Jesusfreakhideout.com
Record Label: None
Album length: 11 tracks: 54 minutes
Street Date: May 5, 2023
Buy It: Apple Music
- In the Beginning (Live) (1:57)
- Can You Hear It (Live) (3:14)
- Jesus Forever (Live) (3:41)
- Even When (Live) (4:31)
- Love Welcomes Me (Live) (4:55)
- Gospel of My Life (Live) (6:24)
- I Have Decided (Live) (6:40)
- In Peace or Pieces (Live) (7:28)
- Revival (Like at Pentecost) [Live] (6:42)
- Victory Sound (Live) (5:51)
- Heaven Calling (Live) (3:20)
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