Music Review: ‘10,000 Reasons’ by Matt Redman

Title: 10,000 Reasons
Artist: Matt Redman
Genre: Worship

iTunes / CrossRhythms / Spotify

Tracklisting:

1. We Are The Free
2. Here For You
3. Holy
4. 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)
5. Fires
6. Never Once
7. Where Would We Be
8. We Could Change The World
9. Magnificent
10. O This God
11. Endless Hallelujah

Review: When a prolific songwriter like Matt Redman releases a new album, a lot of people sit up and take note. With songs like “Heart of worship” and “Blessed be Your name” becoming regular features in churches, conferences and house groups alike, there is always an air of expectation and anticipation.

‘Facedown’ found it’s way into CD and MP3 players across the world and is widely seen as his best album to date with ‘Beautiful News’ and ‘We Will Not Be Shaken’ providing good, solid tunes but nothing as ground-breaking as the prior live project.

So along comes ‘10,000 Reasons’. Recorded live at the LIFT conference in Atlanta this is a completely focussed album of worship, praise and back-to-basics music that picks up where ‘Facedown’ left off – and as a sequel it is just as strong, if not stronger.

If you’ve seen Matt live in recent months, be it at the Big Church Day Out or at other events, then you’ll immediately know some of the songs with the opening track providing one of the most addictive hooks in recent years (my youngest lad calls it the “oh oh song”) and making it impossible not to sing along in true hairbrush mic style. “Here for you” continues with the anthemic sound, and is best know as the title track of this years live Passion conference release.

Moving away from the up tempo and livelier tunes we then get into the meat of where Matt has truly impacted lives – the intimate, worshipful, deeper songs. There are so many to chose from but the four that have really struck me personally, and have made me pick up my Yamaha guitar, are ‘Holy’, ‘10,000 reasons’, ‘Never Once’ and ‘Endless Hallelujah’ – each of them featuring choruses and lyrics that you will wake up singing, hum through the day and go to sleep with them ringing through your mind. No bad thing really!

‘Never Once’ has hit me especially at this time and really speaks into those difficult situations we all face every now and then – but never face alone. The title track is almost hymn-like and I find myself never wanting it to stop… singing “Bless the Lord Oh my soul” long after the music faces (see what I did there)

I could go on to discuss all the tracks but there really isn’t a need and I am sure that every person will find their own favourite tunes resonating where they are as they listen to the CD.

Simply put all I can say is that you should get this album as quickly as you can – you won’t regret it.

Score: 5/5

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhUaqP-CQVY&ob=av2n[/youtube]