A decade has passed since the debut album from solo act The Beautiful Gate. Since then, Dan Ucherek (the man behind the project) has continued his missionary work and has led worship for the body of Christ wherever he finds himself. And now he's kicking off 2025 with a brand new single called "Near." The song is a downtempo ballad that serves to encourage any believers struggling to get through life. While much of the church aims to ignore the pains of life, Ucherek is careful to acknowledge instead of dismiss ("This life can seem like a puzzle without all its pieces / some days hurt worse, isolated by all of this pain / and everybody's saying this will pass like sand in an hourglass"). At the same time, he doesn't allow the hardships to take preeminence, instead choosing to remember God's promise to be near to the brokenhearted ("You are near, turning my mourning to dancing / when You seem so far away / I remember the promise You made / You are near"). The composition and instrumentation are relatively simple, but they serve the song well, elevating the message of the song instead of drawing attention to itself. However, Ucherek didn't use this as an excuse to be lazy, as the music is well-written and well-performed. Instead, it's very melodically pleasing and is a high quality recording that could easily grab some ears on Christian radio or playlists. The Beautiful Gate's return to the music world is a pleasant one with an uplifting message, and it's recommended for fans of Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns, Phil Wickham, etc.

- Review date: 1/13/25, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com