This is a picture of our beautiful studio in church

I have been given responsibility of a huge project and I’m really really nervous. It is the church’s CD project. This year we will be coming up with a live worship album! I’m so excited at the same time very nervous and worried. The timeline seems to past too fast.

There will be a Live Worship at my church at the end of the year and it will be recorded into an album of all entirely Grace written songs. If I am fortunate enough and if the songs are good enough, you will hear some of them in the album. The recording process and song writing process that we’ve been doing so far is pretty exciting. I can’t wait.

Closer look at the board!

The pressure to perform and to make it nice is also killing me. I don’t know if I can do it! For any Grace member who reads this blog. Join me in the excitement. You’ll be hearing these songs introduced to you in the worship services very soon. We want to hear your feedback on which song really blesses you and we’ll choose the best to be placed in the album.

Also if you have written songs. Submit them! Quickly. We covet your songs! Spread the word around. Just send me the song with a vocal and an instrument playing and we’ll do the rest. If your song has the potential to make it, it will sound great, trust me

For the rest, I will work on streaming the song demos for you all to hear. Give us your feedback ok? Tell us if you love it or loathe it. We want honest feedbacks. Thank you.

Another angle of our studio workspace

Now this album is not that new but I never saw it in Malaysia. It came out in 2004 and I thought, well why not! I put the CD into my computer, jacked it into my monitor speakers and this cutest voice began to play. They really gave a huge punch to the beginning of this album to kick listeners in. I love that.

You see two individuals there but it is the lady who sings. Very nice sweet tone, folk like in texture and has a wonderful soft falsetto to her voice. I was mesmerized by her voice for quite some time. The album has a very nice flow to it all credit to the wonderful mastering done! You will generally see flow that is somewhat like how a worship leader would arrange their songs. Lyrically and musically I hardly noticed the pauses in between tracks when I was just getting lost in the songs.

I will say that some songs even have the potential to be used in our worship service. The range, the lyrics and melody works! They even give a full lead sheet with the CD! I am so amazed. I mean not a chord chart but a full LEAD SHEET! Wow!

I am so captured by the first song! My Covering. Even the second songs chorus just makes me want to sing. Somehow it just sticks in my head. The songs get more reflective on who God is and is just so moving to direct us to just marvel at God. Other tracks like ‘The Glory of Your Name’ and ‘You Come as You are’ are magnificent examples of what great worship songs should be like. ‘Captivate Us’ really captivated me though it was so simply acoustically arranged.

It is a pop gospel album and is probably too sweet for some. Honestly it isn’t so to me though. This album as far I know would be what my youth will like. Now I am not rating these album biased because I bought them not knowing how good they are except for knowing them with some song in the past. This album far supersedes my expectations. Don’t miss this album and start singing some of these songs in your churches! Just a suggestion because these songs have a more contemporary feel to them.

This album Christian Music Today says is their best album so far. They were writing songs and trying to write original songs for some time and I didn’t like their albums then. They recently decided to switch back to worship songs! It’s a wonderful decision as I miss worship songs that are so lyrically beautiful.

Rating : 9/10

Now it may seem that I am not much of a ROCKER but actually I’m a great fan of great rock!!

Here is a rock album I stumbled upon by chance. I was on a cd shopping frenzy upon the Doulos ship. Originally known as Blisse but changed their name when they realised there was another band having the same name, this album ‘I Wish We All Could Win‘ was their first major album and rightfully so. I love it!

I got this cd for a mere RM 5 brand new and I was overjoyed because I would have payed a full RM 40 for it if I had to. It has a blend of cool rock plus some rock ballads. Apparently more than one person in the band sings because I hear different voices in the cd and it makes it so much more delightful.

The arrangements are pretty straightforward but the catchy hooks in every song is pretty addictive. I recommended it to some of my youths and they were hooked on to it as well.

My favorite song in the album is ‘Beautiful Love’. This song was even made a theme song for an MTV show.

All in all, this band has talent. I can’t wait to get my hand on their latest albums which are unavailable in this country (ridiculously) so this is a must get! It is sad all the good music seems to not make it here but all the Hillsong albums are everywhere like a plague ahahhaaa…jk jk

Rating: 8.5

Keeping up with what is current in our stores though it has been out for quite a while is this album. Many people I know already have this so if you don’t already have this it’s a must have. It is entirely a different genre from the earlier one I recommended. This is very gospel style but again it’s a fusion of so many styles.

The interesting part is that this album is a combination of two remarkable talents. Israel Houghton and the band New Breed. This collaboration itself if I may say makes it interesting enough for any music enthusiast to get this album.

It supposed to be live and in a probably worship concert style (though I think that word is an oxymoron). But the arrangements in the songs are remarkable. The rhythm section is just amazing. My favorite song is We Have Overcome because if those of you who are fans of Israel, you would realise that this gives the same atmosphere as his older hit ‚ÄòYou Are Good’. It’s so groovy and just makes me want to dance‚Ķ.though I’m not sure if that is a nice sight to behold.

As a general comment, the album is very very nice for its musical value but I’m not sure of how many of you will enjoy it because of the difficulty level of playing this sort of music. It also is not in a vocal range that is comfortable for most people. If you are a Hillsongs fan, perhaps this is not something that you will find to your taste. This is just my guess and opinion.

I have this on a lower rating value because overall, I wasn’t encouraged to hear the album repeatedly unlike the previous one. Somehow it got dry after hearing it twice. I don’t know why. But this again is a matter of my opinion. Still when I’m feeling low on energy, this album gets me groovin’ again wooohooo!

Rating: 8/10

I think I should explain my rating

0 = Painful

1 = Not worth the time

2 = Don’t spend money on it

3 = Take your own risks on this one

4 = Average

5 = Worth the purchase

6 = Noteworthy

7 = Great but not for everyone

8 = Wonderful!

9 = Excellent! Satisfaction Guaranteed!

10 = Man! If you don’t get this you’re going to regret for the rest of you life!

First on the list

Point of Grace – How you Live

Probably gets my recommendation as one of the best Christian album of the YEAR! Now why would I say this? They have been doing this for years and they still come up with amazing inpiring songs. Well the songs are not written by them but some prolific song writers I’ve admired for years.

Point of Grace are famous for the wonderful blend of harmony. In this album, they have gone back to their wonderful roots and not chase the current sound of music. So it sounds wonderful.

This album is of the Pop genre and would be under the adult contemporary category but I believe young people will love it as well.

The lyrics of the songs are just amazing! My favorite tracks are You are Good. Turn up the Music (How You Live) and Heal the Wounds. Brought me to tears these tracks. The rest are really nice too.

Album rating: 9.5

Here’s a the lyrics of the main song. Really Inpiring

Turn up the Music (How You Live)

Wake up to the sunlight
With your windows open
Don’t hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
Wear your red dress
Use your good dishes
Make a big mess and make lots of wishes
Have what you want
But want what you have
And don’t spend your life looking back

Chorus
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won’t regret it
Looking back from where you have been
Coz it’s not who you knew
And it’s not what you did
It’s how you live

So go to the ballgames
And go to the ballet
And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
Kiss all your children
Dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night
Don’t run from the truth
‚ÄòCause you can’t get away
Just face it and you’ll be ok

Chorus
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won’t regret it
Lookin’ back from where you have been
‚ÄòCause it’s not who you knew
And it’s not what you did
It’s how you live

Oh wherever you are and wherever you’ve been
Now is the time to begin

So give to the needy
And pray for the grieving
E’en when you don’t think that you can
‘Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man
Make peace with God and make peace with yourself
‚ÄòCause in the end there’s nobody else

Chorus
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
‚ÄòCause you won’t regret it
Lookin’ back from where you have been
‚ÄòCause it’s not who you knew
And it’s not what you did
It’s how you live

‚ÄòCause it’s not who you knew
And it’s not what you did
It’s how you live