21st March, 2006

JUSTIN MICHAEL   

Artist: David Crowder Band
Album: A Collision

Label: Sixsteps/Sparrow, 2005

Enhanced content: Access to features online

In A Word: Ingenius

"David Crowder, stand up and take a bow. This is an album that brings sonic exploration, musicianship and discipleship together and inspires one to experience this 'beautiful collision' as well."

Before I’d heard David Crowder’s voice an American friend had asked me if I knew what he looked like. When I responded in the negative he proceeded to tell me that he was America’s strangest looking worship leader. Upon closer inspection, he’s certainly an interesting looking dude, with a long goatee, tall and well-rounded white-boy afro and the type of glasses only an artsy muso would wear. I immediately liked the guy. Then I heard his music and started to smile.

A Collision is an instant refresher course in how to make music that makes people think and listen closer. An obviously talented and thoughtful musician, Crowder has referenced Gospel music history by opening with a bit of backshed bluegrass of Everybody wants to go to heaven then kicks straight into the beautiful sounds of the grand piano on Come and listen. There’s also the cotton field Gospel of Soon I will be done with the troubles of this world, multiple musical interludes between tracks and final sounds that combine a mock interview with Crowder over the sounds of Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending.

The radio hit Here is our King almost stands out because of its simple pop accessibility. Foreverandever etc is a hit from the ‘Passion’ movement and shows Crowder’s ability to rock. Every song on the album takes a slightly different musically tack, but it all sticks like glue.

The song that explains the whole album is A Beautiful Collision. It is a sonic journey that builds to such an intensity my poor two-speaker car stereo was in shock and contains the sentiment behind the statement that the band finishes their concerts with each night: “When our depravity meets His divinity, it is a beautiful collision”.

David Crowder, stand up and take a bow. This is an album that brings sonic exploration, musicianship and discipleship together and inspires one to experience this “beautiful collision” as well.

Justin Michael can be heard weekday mornings on Geelong-based radio station 96.3 - www.rhemafm.org.au.