13th April, 2007

JUSTIN MICHAEL  

Album: All Of The Above
Artist: Hillsong United
Lable: Hillsong/Integrity Int, 2007.
Enhanced: Yes – bonus DVD

In a word: Genre-leading

" We have come to expect only ‘live’ albums to carry the worship experience from the stadium to the lounge-room, but this project goes from studio to lounge and carries that same atmosphere."

I don’t know how they do it, but they do. An album every year. A dozen new songs every year. A couple of worship conferences every year. How do these guys stay fresh? How do they keep driving the church music culture forward the way they do? How do they manage to get such heart and soul into a studio recording?

I don’t have the answers, but I do have the new album, All Of The Above, on my player and, to put it simply, they’ve done it again.

Musically, it’s an epic guitarist's dream. There are hooks, riffs and solos all over the place. It’s as synth-lush as ever. Lyrically the themes are clear with songs such as Desperate People, Point of Difference and Devotion.

The album drives hard with tunes like Break Free, Solution and My Future Decided, but overall it’s very laid back and more focused on reflective songs.

There are the stunning vocals of Mia Fields and Brooke Fraser as well as their song-writing craftsmanship (and that of Houston, Sampson and co), and the worship-experience production we have come to take for granted.

There are elements of emo, rock, pop-ballad and you may still find a slight reference to the pop-punk sound that started it all, but the Hillsong United crew have here created a sound that is unique. There is a heart and soul in this project that comes through in the musical nuance, the lyrical intensity, and the originality of both the former and the latter.

We have come to expect only ‘live’ albums to carry the worship experience from the stadium to the lounge-room, but this project goes from studio to lounge and carries that same atmosphere. Check out the flow from the song Hosanna to For Those Who Are To Come. Also of note is the reworking of the song Found from the Mighty To Save album. Now with added groove, guitars and synth, it lends itself comfortably to a congregational setting.

What is most remarkable about these songs for me is that, as a church music director, I can introduce them to the team and have them rocking in no time. The melodies are that strong and the song structure has a simplicity that many would not expect.

The bonus DVD includes everything the YouTube generation are looking for: video blogs, interviews and an "explanation" of the coming The I Heart Revolution although no-one seems to be able to say exactly what it is! Curious - suppose we’ll stay tuned for 2008.

All Of The Above proves again that great songs, sonic grandeur and church music are, or at least should be, one and the same.