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March
21, 2006
Christianity Today
1000 Generations - To
Those Who Cry
by Christa Banister
Sounds like …
inventive, piano-driven pop/worship reminiscent of Michael
W. Smith and FFH, with folk and world music leanings a
la Caedmon's Call and Paul Simon's Graceland.
At a glance …
both artful and accessible, To Those Who Cry aptly showcases
1000 Generations' burgeoning talent as musicians and worship
leaders.
It's not easy to be wowed by a new worship CD these days
with so many mediocre and cover-song driven releases available—save
for the few diamonds in the rough. And that's exactly
what makes To Those Who Cry, the follow-up to 1000 Generations'
impressive debut Prayers, so remarkable. Instead of the
same hackneyed sentiments and run-of-the-mill soundtrack,
the Indianapolis-based group manages to serve up something
energetic and original, lyrically and musically. Imagine
that.
Led by Steven Potaczek and his wife Amanda, who are also
worship leaders at their local Vineyard Church, the band
clearly has a knack for writing catchy, congregational-friendly
songs—particularly "Not of Our Hands"
and "Your Love Never Fails," a pretty piano
ballad that wouldn't seem out of place in Michael W. Smith's
catalog. But aside from an ear for church songs, 1000
Generations also mixes things up with the tribal feel
of "You Make My Skeletons Dance," complete with
jubilant horns and an affirmative message of God's forgiveness.
While "Help Me Let Me Let Myself Be Loved" may
be cumbersome as a song title, the message of God's love
is loud and clear (and the percussion throughout is pretty
cool to boot).
Also providing the necessary variation is the trading
off of vocal duties. While Steven sings the majority of
the tracks, Amanda gets her moment to shine on the moody
"Prove Me Wrong," one of the disc's highlights.
Her pure, unfussy approach reminds me of a cross between
Ginny Owens and Caedmon's Call's Danielle Young, which
also works well on "Break Your Own Heart," a
song that also benefits from some quirky electronic accents.
Of this project, the band says, "We imagine music
that is to the point, expressive, honest and vulnerable,
transparent, and yet powerfully laced with the truth that
we serve an all-powerful and loving God who ultimately
cares about the details of our lives." With To Those
Who Cry, the band has not only accomplished all that,
but has helped raise the bar for worship music at large.
To read the full article visit:
www.christianitytoday.com |
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