24th October, 2007
JUSTIN MICHAEL
Album: Live: A Deeper Level
Artist: Israel and New Breed
Year: 2007
Label: Integrity
Enhanced: No
In a word: Remarkable
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"This is not a run-of-the-mill worship disc. This a no-holds-barred recording that you cannot help but be moved by." |
An emotive experience; a worship journey; a political statement; and, a musical gem.
Israel Houghton is a name I often find the congregation is unaware of until I mention titles like Friend Of God, Rejoice In The Lord or Lord, You Are Good. It’s at that point that most people smile. Israel is renowned for these songs of affirmation that contain great melodies, shout outs and challenges for all muso’s that try to replicate what New Breed present.
Live: A Deeper Level has all of that and more. It includes the live hit, Say So, the rasta stylings of With Long Life, featuring T-bone as well as the encouragement of I Know Who I Am featuring Chris Tomlin.
The album is remarkable for a number of reasons. The musicianship is beyond amazing at times, there is a mix of sounds eclectic enough for most congregations to find something that fits and the words we’re given to sing are always encouraging. What is different about A Deeper Level is the lengths Houghton goes to make a statement about the purpose of worship in preparing the ‘next generation’ to take a stand for Christ.
The opening track, So Come, gives direction for the whole album. It’s all about the songs being so much more than just sing alongs: “Behold the days are coming - for the Lord has promised - when the ploughman will overtake the reaper, and our hearts will be the threshing floor, and the move of God we cried out for will come.”
The track Surely Surely goes even further in making statements in regards to abolishing abortion, in holding up marriage as a union between a man and a woman and speaking to the next generation: "We serve notice to the spirit of this age that there is a generation who has something to say...that our children’s children will be saved!"
This is not a run-of-the-mill worship disc. This a no-holds-barred recording that you cannot help but be moved by. It’s one of those discs that may just rub you up the wrong way while enjoying some very classy music. For this reviewer, that’s an amazing and worthwhile feat for a worship disc.
Throw in the mix a prayer and song from Darlene Zschech, a bonus track - You Are Not Forgotten, and you’ve got 17 tracks of tunes worth letting wash over you and finding that it may indeed take you to a deeper level.
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