As a preface to Church Music, it’s probably good to know that each member of the David Crowder Band gets a Programming credit in the liner notes. DCB has always dabbled in the electronic, usually with novelty blips and bleeps here and there, save for the Sunsets and Sushi EP, but Church Music pulls out all the stops.
“Alleluia, Sing” kicks things off in earnest and has the emotional tone of Can You Hear Us?, and although it’s not as intimate as something like “I Need Words”, it has the same type of urgency. “Eastern Hymn” is convincing as a legitimate dance song while being completely worshipful at the same time, which is a pretty cool feat. Even the slow jams on Church Music get the new electro-treatment, and in the case of “SMS (Shine)” it makes interesting what would otherwise be a bland offering.
Some notable guest vocals show up on Church Music in the form of the DuPree sisters from Eisley who add their BGVs to three tracks and Lacey Mosley of Flyleaf who’s apparently the new “it” girl to have on your CCM record. Speaking of Flyleaf, perhaps the most surprising moment of Church Music is DCB’s capable cover of “All Around Me” which they turn into a piano ballad, replete with programmed atmospherics, of course.
Following that pleasant surprise is “How He Loves”, the album stand out, both because of its tone in comparison to the rest of record and just because of the song itself. Crowder’s delivery, the band’s performance and the lyrics of John Mark McMillan create what can only be described as breathtaking. In fact, the story goes that the first time Crowder heard the original version from McMillan he began to weep…in public…on a plane.
The title track gets the subtitle of “Dance[!]” and may be the most fun song DCB has ever produced, and if they can pull it off live in concert, it’ll be a fan favorite in no time.
Closing out the album are “God Almighty, None Compares” and “In the End [O Resplendent Light!]” which pretty much ditch the electronic theme and sound more like what you’d expect from these guys, and the former has a killer guitar solo I didn’t think they had in them
Whereas the aforementioned Sunsets and Sushi EP felt forced and unnatural, Church Music is an honest-to-goodness effort at creating an electronic worship album. 17 full on tracks, no interludes here, make the record just a little too long, but David Crowder and Co. are just trying to breathe some life into the desert of modern worship. Well done fellas!
Here is a link to purchase: Church Music
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