Review Detail
Over the Grave: The Isaac Watts Project Volume One - Sojourn
Sojourn Community Church
WL Quick Tip: These songs may take a couple listens for your congregation to grab, but most have choruses that will ring out in the rafters. People don't typically go to Isaac Watts to satisfy their driving-guitar heart burning, multiple ambient sub-textured songs or to satisfy their hunger for blazing Southern rock riffs. And, on the other hand, we don't usually go to indie-rock for deep theological traditions being musically unearthed in themes like justice, righteousness, and the dramatic transformation of death into victory by the sacrifice of the Lamb. But that all changes with
Over the Grave-a church worship team's concept record that has taken some fairly obscure Isaac Watts songs and put them in a modern Southern-rock-meets-sweet-falsetto-vocal and guitar rock.
For better or worse, one certainly doesn't get lines like these in our typical congregational tunes these days: "Your hand shall find out every foe, and as a fiery furnace glows ... They will feel Your wrath upon their souls," but
the folks at Sojourn Community Church are ready to let them soar. Yes with these Watts hymns, humans are unworthy, foes will be destroyed, and God is a fearsome being. There is also praise for the God of victory who died as our ransom; wonder over the fact that we have been freed from our chains; and a sovereign God who hears our pleas is praised-themes one can find readily enough in The Book of Psalms. With over 35 musicians taking part on
Over the Grave, this is a community offering. Featuring the unique blend of coffeehouse musical art and the classic hymns that began a movement of reformation and music in the Church,
Over the Grave is a nice find.
Play List: "Warrior," "Alas! And did my savior bleed," "May Your Power Rest on Me"
sojournmusic.com - Jeremy Armstrong
