In a conversation I had with Innes Johnston from eatacd.com last week, we were talking about some of the emerging artists and bands they had on the site, and Awaken found their way into the mix. A band whom Innes knows well, their efforts were mainly geared towards live playing (always with the promise of recorded material on the horizon) and the guys at eatacd.com wasted no time in getting them on board once their EP was produced. Their EP is now available for download here 

If I were to sum up this EP in one word, it would be “energy”. From the first 5 seconds, the guitar leads you into a highly charged introduction to “Known By You”. This celebration of who Jesus is (our Risen Saviour), and who we are in Him (His children, known by Him), powerfully expresses the Gospel in a lively, inspiring worshipful chorus. As could be expected from a band with two drummers, the rhythm is strong, driving, and the dominant force in the opening song, including a worshipfully uplifting display of drumming and vocals to close out the song.

I’m a huge fan of old songs and hymns being updated, when they’re done well, and the rendition of “There Is A Redeemer” definitely makes it’s way firmly into this bracket. From the subtle opening, with a clean delayed guitar, you are taken into an atmosphere of abandoned praise to the Lord in the chorus. Nothing is held back in this song, the drums are again powerful, the guitars and bass complement the heavy rhythm track well, and yet there is still space for the vocals to sit atop this mix and come to the fore. This rework of an old song is very reminiscent of Rend Collective Experiment, and would fit nicely with the latter’s version of “Thine Be The Glory” for feel, edge, and passion.

It is important when producing a short EP to display variety, and here we find ourselves at the title track. A moving, laid back introduction displays the quieter side to Awaken, with a subtle yet powerful vocal and guitar arrangement. You can almost hear the Spirit of the Lord moving in this track, building through the initial verses and choruses. The presence of the cello on this track gives a good point to drop back to, and this is particularly evident before the closing, highly charged chorus. Here, Awaken’s brand of rhythmic explosiveness and passion comes to the fore again, with rousing drums and powerful vocals.

The EP closes out with the sole acoustic track on the album - “All My Life”. A stirring declaration of faith, trust, and surrender, this song combines a warm acoustic guitar and cello backing with a moving vocal line. This song serves as a welcome reminder to us that everything we have, every gift and every treasure, is from Him and for Him. He holds all our promises, and all our hope is in Him. The message of this song is superbly put across, and will serve as a real blessing to anyone who listens.

These guys have got something. The rawness, the energy, the passion, the heart of Awaken all come across with this offering, and I pray that this would be the start of a great new chapter for them. Bless you guys.

(Firstly, a quick word about the photo, it is my daughter Erin (now nearly 5), being held in my arms at just a few days old. As soon as I saw the title for this album I sensed an opportunity to use a photo I’ve long regarded as my favourite photo of my beautiful little girl. Huge thanks go to Will Taylor for editing the photo for me to make it more suitable for the job. Check out more of his photos and articles at http://www.bigdaddywhale.com)

As part of a growing relationship with Innes Johnston from eatacd.com, a Christian media distribution organisation based in Scotland, I am doing a few reviews of independent worship albums in their catalogue. In the first of these, we find Petey Allan’s The Father’s Arms - a punchy, primarily guitar-led album with strong, catchy vocal lines.

The album starts with two very approachable up-tempo guitar songs - “My Soul”, and “You’re the One I Love”. A great characteristic of these tracks for me is the thought that has gone into their arrangements. Far from simply being all-out rockers, with overly complicated production and over zealous musicality, there is a clear message within these tracks. Indeed, in each track we find that on more than one occasion the arrangement is stripped back to vocals, bass and drums, ensuring that the vocal lines come across as the main message of the songs.

Petey’s voice is strong throughout the album, cutting through the mix on the up-tempo songs, and leading the slower, more reflective songs with passion and soul. On that point, I am particularly impressed with the diversity shown on this album. There are, as I have mentioned, some out-and-out electric songs on here, though these are balanced well with more reflective, acoustic-led tracks such as “Take My Heart”, and also piano-led tracks such as “You Gave”. The standard of the album is unerring, even with these shifts in focus, and this is again a testament to the quality of musicianship and production on the album.

Lyrically this album is heartfelt, passionate, and easy to follow, good attributes for congregational worship tracks. I particularly like the message behind “Take My Heart” - praising God for who He is in the verses, then asking Him to take us and use us for His glory in the chorus. As Christians, we long to see His Kingdom come, and His will be done through us.

As I was listening to this album I was picturing tracks from it being used in youth services. As with bands such as Casting Crowns, Hillsong United, and Planetshakers, all of whom are headed up by worship leaders with a passion for youth, there is an exuberance about this album. I pray that songs from this album will get out into the Kingdom, igniting that spark from which His fire can spread.

Petey Allan’s album is available from http://www.eatacd.com