One of the premiere ensembles in worship continues to defy the genre with their newest album, When Wind Meets Fire. Elevation Worship seems to find themselves setting the standard of what worship music can and should be, whether that's their goal or not. From different lyrical patterns to unique instrumentations, When Wind Meets Fire is very good. The album features a fresh voice with ELEVATION RHYTHM's Joshua Holiday contributing in a big way with production and writing. Over a year after putting out one of their most cohesive albums in some time, Can You Imagine?, which featured hit songs "Praise," "Trust in God," and "More Than Able," I wondered what would be next for the team down in North Carolina.

A joyful song of expectation, "New Thing Coming," opens the album. Lead by Elevation vet Tiffany Hudson, the catchy chorus fused with hoppy keys gives this song a joyful exuberant groove that you can't help but bop to, "Darkness bow down to the day / Mountains get up out my way / Breaking out of yesterday / I got a new thing coming / Tell this giant in my face / You're not greater than my faith / Best believe me when I say / I got a new thing coming." Amidst a world full of chaos and fears, this song is a great way to start off the album. Musically, this feels different from most upbeat worship songs. There's a flare of Gospel with some layers of contemporary worship feels. Love it.

"What A Miracle," one of the album's leading singles, is led by longtime Elevation vet Chris Brown and features Leeland; it's simple lyrically, yet offers the weight of the Gospel as its foundation. Verse one sees us before the Lord as lowly, unworthy and asks the question: "Why are you so good to me? / Why are you so good to me? / You must see a treasure hidden underneath / Why are you so good to me? / Oh, this is more than I deserve / This is more than I deserve / Overwhelming grace I could never earn / This is more than I deserve." Every ounce of these lines shows humility in how we see ourselves before God. When we see ourselves this way, His beauty and glory shines so much more. The chorus ties it up beautifully: "In the morning, I will sing of how you love me / In the evening, I will bless your name / It's amazing when I think of the way you saved me / Every breath I breathe is for your praise." It's one of my favorites.

"Sure Been Good," led by Tiffany Hudson, showcases the diverse lyrical and musical patterns/rhythms the album has to offer. You hear it so clearly in the verses and bridge, "You've been better to me than I could ever have hoped You would be / You took the mess that I was and you have done some incredible things." This may throw people off, but I dare you to stay with it. Let it breathe, and hopefully you'll find it as cool as I do. I can't help but love what this song has to offer. "Faithful Then / Faithful Now" is an upbeat southern/rock inspired jam that's a good song to move to. "God Is Not Against Me," "Easy," and "Great Is" are all solid tracks that are very reminiscent of the earlier days of Elevation Worship.

The title track of the album, "When Wind Meets Fire," is arguably the best song on the album. Sonically, the track is beautifully haunting. The intro/turnaround hook is captivating as the guitar floats effortlessly. Instantly, it becomes the most interesting song on the record. The song embodies a movement of worship that's always been present for the last decade. It has a simple, repetitive lyrical flow, but it's based on scripture. With great authority, the chorus declares: "Our God is consuming fire / Our God is a holy wind / Whatever You speak is done / Whatever You touch will live." This is derived straight from Acts 2:1-4, where the Holy Spirit met many and began performing signs and wonders, setting them apart from others. It's a wonderful invitation/offering of praise to the God of the universe. "Yahweh We Love You," which features Joe L Barnes, is one of those songs you can just belt out in confidence, and is a fun and simple addition to this album. Another One, also the album's first leading single, is always a good listen and never gets old.

Wind Meets Fire is a vast, unconventional body of work that really is some of the best work hailing from the North Carolina crew. From the lyrics to musicianship, this album offers a lot of different sounds to take in and I credit a lot of it to Holiday's production and writing skills on this project.

- Review date: 11/27/24, written by Michael Carder of Jesusfreakhideout.com