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JFH Indie Review

JFH Indie Inspection Review

Firma Collective

Firma Collective
Songs For Every Soul

Street Date: May 4, 2018
Style: Worship
Buy It: AmazonMP3
Buy It: iTunes



Worship acts have it pretty hard. There seems to be a typical trajectory of unforeseen popularity born from a specific sound, and whether or not an artist attempts to leave that pigeon-hole, either leads to unoriginality or failed reinvention. That's why there's always hope when a new group comes onto the scene, particularly when it is led in part by legendary engineer Tom Mgrdichian. Although Firma Collective certainly provides the sonic variety that one would hope for from a debut worship release, Songs For Every Soul mostly feels more like a hodge-podge of singles than a united vision.

A mere list of present instrumentation and styles reveals that there is a lot going on here: hymn "Mercy's Tree" features synths and bagpipes, blues tune "Faithful Lord" utilizes slide guitars and electronic percussion, and so on. It can be said that there is something for everyone here, but that quality makes for an overloaded, conflicted listen. That tension is noticeable even within individual songs - the aforementioned "Faithful Lord" puts off an attitude that doesn't match with the abstract vocal melody in the verse or the uplifting chord progression in the chorus.

Even though a lot of sonic ground is covered, the structure of the songs themselves feels very tired. There are a lot of subdued verses that lead into big choruses that are linked by bridges with builds. The only tune that shakes up this formula really well is the modern rendition of "Be Thou My Vision," which feels more like a continuous build than anything else. It's also supported by an intriguing meter, emotional mood, and a surprising mix of timbres. Still, the rest of the tracks are a lot more forgettable because of it.

It's hard to say that Firma Collective's Songs For Every Soul isn't well-executed. The performances are solid, the production is pristine, and the genre diversity is appreciated. On the other hand, this debut is a perfect release of how over-stuffing can actually take away from the intended impact of music. Every soul is likely to enjoy at least one of these songs, but reining in the ambition would have made this project feel much more cohesive.

- Review date: 5/7/18, written by Mason Haynie of Jesusfreakhideout.com



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This Friday, June 27, 2025
ALBUMS
7eventh Time Down We Praise You [BEC]
The Browns 25th Anniversary: Better Days Ahead [StowTown]
Franni Cash Wild Child - EP [Capitol CMG]
Matt Crocker interlude [Anotherland]
Jimmy Fortune Songs of an American Dreamer [Gaither]
Roxanne Grace Road Trip - EP [DREAM]
JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise The Live Reunion: Washington, DC [James Town]
Kutless The Seventh Seal - EP [BEC]
Evvie McKinney It Ain't Over - EP (independent)
Rusty Shipp Capsized Empire (independent)
SEU Worship A Forgiving God [Provident]
The Shimmering Carnelians The Doorway (Version 2.0) (independent)
We Are Messengers A Thousand Times - EP [Curb]

SINGLES
Anchor & Braille Rattlesnake - Single [Equal Vision]
ANTHNY imposter syndrome - Single [Provident]
Blanca Right On Time - Single [Curb]
Landry Cantrell & Elenee sunshine & rainbows - Single [DREAM]
Eddie Clark Never Content - Single [Syntax]
Colony House Atomic - Single [Roon]
Megan Danielle Preachin' To The Choir - Single [Provident]
Drea LP & OnBeatMusic Don't Try Me (DTM) - Single [Syntax]
ELI GABLE Glory Bound - Single [Capitol CMG]
Joseph Habedank Running to Me - Single [Daywind]
Lonnie Hunter Flow (Like A River) - Single [Uncle G]
Kashh Kade HELP - Single [Syntax]
KB x KEANU Keanu's Song - Single [Provident]
Tasha Layton Singing In the Dark - Single [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard The Hand That Keeps Holding - Single [Motown Gospel]
Claire Leslie Thank God I'm Not Alone (from Claire's Phone) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Tim Lovelace Celebration of America Medley (feat. Charlie McCoy) - Single [StowTown]
Lecrae Tell No Lie (feat. Jackie Hill Perry) - Single [Reach]
LO Worship The Perfect Love of Jesus - Single [Integrity]
Patrick Mayberry Thank The Lord - Single [Provident]
Michael Monroe John The Baptist (feat. Chris Renzema) - Single [Provident]
Alexander Pappas A Great Awakening / Un Nuevo Despertar - Single [Integrity]
PEABOD Summer in Seattle - Single [RMG Amplify]
Rave Jesus Walk On The Water Remix (From The Chosen) - Single [Provident]
The Rocky Valentines Nat Song - Single [Velvet Blue]
Tommy Royale, gio. Like Dat - Single [Capitol CMG]
Saints In Exile & Cutright My Dead End (ft. Jeannie Ortega, Luc DiMarzio, Jericko) - Single [Syntax]
Emilie Weiss Take Care (Studio Sessions) - Single [BEC]

DVD
Jimmy Fortune Songs Of An American Dreamer DVD [Gaither]

Next Friday, July 4, 2025
ALBUMS
Chad Cory America [DREAM]
Tenielle Neda The Way Of Love [Wings]

SINGLES
Christian Back Now - Single [DREAM]



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