Joseph Angel is a husband/wife band that takes their stage name from their first names (Joseph and Angel). They already have a decent body of work under their belt from albums to books, but now they have released their latest LP,
All of Our Praise. This 12-track record immediately throws one back to the Jesus People Movement with a sound similar to Keith Green and a love for choruses like Maranatha! While the songs are mostly praise focused, some reach out with the gospel (like "Do You See Jesus") or offer encouragement to believers (like "Sometimes You Gotta Shout"). The lyrics are fairly simple and the melodies are good earworms, thus, with its throwback style, giving the album some charm. A couple things set it back, however. One is the tendency to be overly repetitive in singing choruses. When the lyrics are simple enough and the music is catchy, going through a chorus a few times too many takes the listener out of the moment. The other setback is found in the drumming. The drums come off as a little over-eager, throwing in fills when unnecessary or employing the kick drum too liberally. It threw the timing off on enough songs so as to be distracting. It's clear, though, that Joseph Angel has been at it for a while. It's easy to picture these songs working in a church setting. Listening to them in the comfort of your own home, however, may not be as pleasant. A few tweaks and this album could be a stellar throwback worship set.
- Review date: 12/14/21, written by
John Underdown of Jesusfreakhideout.com
(JFH Sponsor Spot)