MARCUS CHEONG reviews Bethel’s new instrumental album, ‘Without Words: Genesis’…
Bethel Music
Without Words: Genesis
Bethel Music, 2019
In A Word: Atmospheric
“The premise of Without Words: Genesis is to guide listeners to a place of worship by creating an atmosphere that is meditative, prayerful, immersive and evocative. The absence of words allows the listener to fill the space themselves, which makes this 67 minute album an ideal background for quiet times, Bible readings and prayer.”
Over the past 10 years, Bethel Music has had a meteoric rise to prominence. From the relatively small city of Redding, California, their worship songs are now heard throughout the world in churches, concerts and playlists. They’ve just released the third in the Without Words series which brings evocative, instrumental versions of classic and contemporary praise songs.
Interwoven between the 12 covers of familiar tunes, there are seven interludes that express the seven days of creation, hence the name: Genesis. The intent is to celebrate the creation story in an atmosphere of saturated praise and worship.
Not only does the album feature renown Bethel tunes such as No Longer Slaves, Raise a Hallelujah and Reckless Love but the collection also includes Hillsong’s What a Beautiful Name, Phil Wickham’s Living Hope and Elevation’s Do it Again. These are all welcome additions that expand the collection beyond just one music label and demonstrate a maturity in the music industry that allows inclusiveness and cooperation across the globe.
Without Words: Genesis interprets each melody with a combination of electronic soundscapes, syncopated percussions, dramatic guitar chords, sweeping orchestral strings and the occasional choral highlight to create a sound that is both familiar and fresh. The tunes ebb and flow from quiet, meditative moods to rousing crescendos that swell with intensity. Audiences acquainted with the original songs will find this package most appealing as they will easily be able to sing along, either in their minds or even out loud, if so desired.
The premise of Without Words: Genesis is to guide listeners to a place of worship by creating an atmosphere that is meditative, prayerful, immersive and evocative. The absence of words allows the listener to fill the space themselves, which makes this 67 minute album an ideal background for quiet times, Bible readings and prayer.
The album is a confident expression of both praise and artistry. The listener is invited to contribute to the experience as they fill in the wordless soundscapes with their own thoughts. Even though the album may be Without Words, the music has the ability to speak powerfully to the active listener.
