Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!

JFH Music Review



Passion
God Of This City



Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 14 tracks: 74 minutes, 3 seconds
Street Date: February 5, 2008


One of the most highly anticipated worship projects each year is Passion. I was fortunate enough to attend the conference for the first time last year in Atlanta as speaker Louie Giglio announced the Passion team's plan to go global. This year, instead of holding a large conference, Passion held a series of mini conferences in the United States with plans to take the movement to numerous countries around the world. It is uncertain how this change in direction will affect Passion's annual live project, but for now, music fans can delight in Passion: God of This City. Compiled of performances from the Atlanta conference and the mini conferences, God of This City is another solid release for the Passion legacy.

Chris Tomlin opens the album with the rousing "Let God Arise." The song perfectly captures the spirit of the album, immediately putting the focus on God and creating genuine excitement. Charlie Hall slows things down with "You Are God," a well-crafted song that many churches are sure to adopt. While Hall is not my favorite artist on the Passion roster, "You are God" is one of his stronger offerings. Passion favorite David Crowder is next, putting his signature mark on beloved hymn "O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing." Perhaps a hymns project could be in his future?

While God of This City begins strong, it also has some weaker tracks. Christy Nockels' "Hosanna" is not a bad song, but it is rather generic, as is her voice. Chris Tomlin follows with "Sing, Sing, Sing." It seems that for Tomlin, his songs are either amazing ("How Great is Our God"), or incredibly bland (the infamously cheesy "Party Song.") Unfortunately, "Sing, Sing, Sing," falls into the latter category. Krisitan Stanfill revives the album with "Beautiful Jesus," a mid-tempo love song to Jesus. Charlie Hall follows with "Walk the World," which is instantly likeable. Fee then appears out of nowhere with "We Shine," a rock anthem declaring, "We are the redeemed. We are the ones who are free." It is nice to turn up the volume a bit, but I cannot help but wonder how the song would have sounded if David Crowder had performed it. Matt Redman makes his first appearance on the album with the beautiful "God of Our Yesterdays." Both quiet and reflective, it is a nice change of pace. David Crowder follows suit with the subdued but incredibly powerful "Glory of it All," one of my favorite songs on the album. Matt Redman returns with two tracks in a row, "Shine," and "Dancing Generation." Both songs are strong, but "Dancing Generation" has more kick. God of this City comes to an appropriate close with "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)." Over eight minutes long, this is the signature song of the album.

One of my favorite things about the artists associated with Passion is that the songs they perform always put the focus on God. Some modern worship artists/projects (I won't name names) tend to write songs focusing on man and what God can do for him. With Passion, it is always God who gets the attention. This is evident from the beginning of the album "Let God Arise," to the end, where the album quietly closes with thousands of worshippers simply singing, "Praise God."

Passion: God of This City is stronger than last year's Everything Glorious, and is sure to satisfy those new to the movement and those who have been with it from the beginning. While there are a few weak tracks, it is overall a great project. The use of the word "shine" throughout the album became a little redundant, but there is little else to complain about. It will be exciting to see where the Passion folks will go next.

- Review date: 2/4/08, written by Laura Nunnery



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!

 

. Record Label: SixStepsRecords
. Album length: 14 tracks: 74 minutes, 3 seconds
. Street Date: February 5, 2008
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. Let God Arise - Chris Tomlin
  2. You Are God - Charlie Hall
  3. God Of This City - Chris Tomlin
  4. O, For A Thousand Tongues To Sing - David Crowder Band
  5. Hosanna - Christy Nockels
  6. Sing, Sing, Sing - Chris Tomlin
  7. Beautiful Jesus - Kristian Stanfill
  8. Walk The World - Charlie Hall
  9. We Shine - FEE
  10. God Of Our Yesterdays - Matt Redman
  11. The Glory Of It All - David Crowder Band
  12. Shine - Matt Redman
  13. Dancing Generation - Matt Redman
  14. Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) - Chris Tomlin
spacer Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics

 

 

go to main Album review page
go to Album review archive

 


(JFH Sponsor Spot)

 

 

                 
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!

Search JFH




This Friday, November 8, 2024
ALBUMS
Gabby Barrett Carols and Candlelight [Warner Music Nashville]
CXMMXNS CXMMXNS Chapter 1 - EP [Essential Worship]
New Hope Oahu There Is One - EP [DREAM]
Neal Morse & The Resonance No Hill For A Climber [InsideOut]
TAKE Time Bomb [Resuscitation Records]
Lauren Talley A Lauren Talley Christmas [Horizon]

SINGLES
Cory Asbury I Hope You Dance - Single [BEC]
Jordan Kauflin, Laura Story Approach, My Soul - Single [Getty]
Sam Bowman & GLADDEN Misfit Toys - Single [DREAM]
Wavorly Enemies - Single (independent)

VINYL
Michael W. Smith Every Christmas Vinyl [Rocketown]
Stryper To Hell with the Amps Vinyl [Frontiers]
TAKE Time Bomb Vinyl [Resuscitation Records]

DVD
Stryper To Hell with the Amps Blu-Ray [Frontiers]

Next Friday, November 15, 2024
ALBUMS
Dolly Parton & Family Smoky Mountain DNA – Family, Faith & Fables [Owepar Entertainment]
The Lore Family Faith Over Fear [Horizon]
Fernando Ortega For All the Saints - EP (independent)
Earnest Pugh Worth is the Lamb
We Are Messengers Rejoice! (A Celtic Christmas) - EP [Curb]
Paul Wright III Reverie [United Alliance]

SINGLES
Big Dismal Here In My Heart - Single (independent)
Hannah Kerr It Came Upon A Midnight Clear - Single [Curb]
Olivia Lane Silent Night - Single [BEC]
Tasha Layton Wake Up It's Christmas - Single [BEC]
Jamie MacDonald A Million Chances - Single [Capitol CMG]
Ronnie Martin On Christmas Morning - Single [Velvet Blue]
Hunter Plake Daylight - Single [BEC]
Jordan St. Cyr Christ is Here - Single [BEC]

VINYL
Sixpence None the Richer Divine Discontent Vinyl [Word]



For all release dates, click here!
 



Check out the new album from Taylor Holland Armstrong!



Listen to the new Single from Second Adam and the New Creations!

Check out depositphotos for royalty free images