Coming all the way from Swakopmund, Namibia,
Hope Eternal are putting their talents together to minister the Gospel through their debut, self-titled EP. Hope Eternal is a duo that consists of singer/songwriter Rudolf Meerkotter and his 11-year-old daughter, Mila. They both provide vocals, which, as a listener, is something you might have to adjust to, as their vocals are so drastically different; they actually remind me quite a bit of Lene Nystrøm and René Dif of the eurodance group Aqua, except not annoying. On the contrary, Mila is a surprisingly good singer for being so young. Her higher-pitched voice blends well with Rudolf's deeper, Depeche Mode-esque vocals, which especially works in the context of the style of music, which is largely electronic and synth-based. "Humbled" is an acoustic track, but tracks like "Fountain" and "In The Name Of" remind me of the post-Showbread act Church of Agony. It's mostly simple rhythms and melodies, but it creates a nice, solid backbone for the songs, especially when layered together, such as in "Still." The lyrics are also usually simple, but are clearly written with passion and don't really need complexity. In the chorus of "Humbled," the two simultaneously sing, "
I sit down at Your feet, sit down at Your feet / and I surrender / and I put my head on Your chest, put my head on Your chest / and I surrender," yearning for intimacy with Jesus. Overall, I think my favorite track is "In The Name Of." It's the poppiest, most upbeat number here, so it's fun to listen to, and the Meerkotters' faith in God's movement in their, and our, lives is so great to hear ("
Darkness leave in the name of Jesus / bodies be healed in the name of Jesus / let the Spirit flow without measure / as we call on the name we treasure"). Hope Eternal definitely won't appeal to everyone, but if you like electronic/pop-based worship music, give it a spin. It may surprise you like it did me.
- Review date: 11/25/20, written by
Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com
(JFH Sponsor Spot)