Music is an ever-growing organism. New artists, bands, and Biebers enter and exit the music scene non-stop; the same could be said for the worship music scene. Thankfully, there are some consistent pillars and Tim Hughes is one of them. With his latest release, Love Shine Through, he is proving how much of a pillar he is by once again providing music for the global church. However, is all that shines through this album without flaw?
The album opens with the epic yet soft "Counting On Your Name." It's an excellent way to open the album as it declares our desperate need for Jesus to save us. In a world (and recently even some of the church) that questions the way of Christ, it's good to hear songs that proclaim the unwavering validity of Jesus being the way, the truth, and the life. "Never Stop Singing" and "Jesus Saves" introduce more flair to the album, which is good because Hughes isn't really a high-energy singer, but with the percussive instrumentation, it breathes some life into the album. While neither of the songs make me want to jump all around the place, it's got a great groove to it that calls for some movement.
Both renditions of "At Your Name" are probably the strongest tracks on the album. While it is the same song with a different arrangement, both are very affective and tremendously anointed. This might be due to the fact that Martin Smith helped arrange the first rendition and Phil Wickham with the second. The purpose of the song is very clear as Hughes sings, "Lord of all the Earth, we shout your name, shout your name. Filling up the sky with endless praise, endless praise. Yahweh Yahweh! We love to shout your name oh Lord!" With a beautiful melody, affectionate lyrics, and a good vocalist at the helm, it's destined to be a new church anthem.
The only flaws that really stand out are that the album itself doesn't have a lot of energy and that the songs can sound unoriginal. While they might be perfect for the local church to sing, with simple melodies and easy words, it can just become monotonous. Tim Hughes is undoubtedly a solid corporate worship music writer with good doctrine, a beautiful voice, and the ability to let the message shine through clearly, but I cannot say this is a flawless record. For the worship leader looking for new music to sing on Sundays, they will find some great content on Love Shine Through, but your congregation might feel like they've sung some of these songs before.
- Review date: 6/17/11, written by Ryan Barbee of Jesusfreakhideout.com
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