Artist: Passion/ Various Artists
Album: Passion: God of This City
Label: Sixstepsrecords/ Sparrow Records
Release Date: February 5, 2008
Review by: Eric Pettersson
Tracklist:
1. Chris Tomlin – Let God Arise
2. Charlie Hall – You Are God
3. Chris Tomlin – God of This City
4. David Crowder Band – O, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
5. Christy Nockels – Hosanna
6. Chris Tomlin – Sing, Sing, Sing
7. Kristian Stanfill – Beautiful Jesus
8. Charlie Hall – Walk the World
9. Fee – We Shine
10. Matt Redman – God of Our Yesterdays
11. David Crowder Band – The Glory of It All
12. Matt Redman – Shine
13. Matt Redman – Dancing Generation
14. Chris Tomlin – Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
As one of the most successful and celebrated series within the “Modern Worship” movement, Passion returns with Passion: God of This City. Featuring some of the biggest names in the genre, these albums, usually recorded live at the Passion Fest events, act as both a sampler and a top hits record of modern rock worship music geared towards “this generation,” especially college students. For those who are a little more on the fringe, David Crowder Band brings his energetic alternative rock sound to the mix, while Charlie Hall adds a more indie-rock element with a voice like the guy from Lovedrug and a focused heart for changing the world with God’s love. And for those with leanings a little more towards the mainstream of CCM, Chris Tomlin (best known for his song “How Great Is Our God”) and Matt Redman (best known for “The Heart of Worship (It’s All about You)”) each hold a significant presence on the record. While for some reason I usually have a hard time connecting with Tomlin’s songs and worshiping to them, his adaptation of “Amazing Grace” is my favorite track on this release. Sadly, some of the songs come off as just trying to hype up the crowd rather than trying to help people actually worship God, but there are a few good spiritual moments here, most notably in Charlie Hall’s “You Are God,” David Crowder Band’s adaptation of “O, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” and Kristian Stanfill’s “Beautiful Jesus.”
7/10
