Main Review
You know Matt Hammitt as the lead singer of the popular rock group Sanctus Real. However, with Every Falling Tear, Matt
ventures out on his own, sharing about the struggles he and his wife faced during the birth of their child Bowen. Bowen
(which means “Small Victorious One”) was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome – only half a heart. Doctors weren’t
even sure that Bowen would be born. However, through much prayer, Matt and Sarah delivered Bowen into the world on
September 9th. Every Falling Tear is a collection of songs Matt Hammitt wrote during this struggle, as he learned to trust
in God throughout the whole trial, and come out gold.
“All of Me” opens Every Falling Tear, on a haunting note musically. In this emotional track, Matt sings to his son Bowen as
he shares how he gave up his fear of losing his son in a decision to love him with everything he had: “You're gonna have
all of me/ 'Cause you're worth every falling tear/ You're worth facing any fear/ You're gonna know all my love/ Even if it's not
enough/ Enough to mend our broken hearts/ But giving you all of me is where I'll start.” “Holding You” speaks of the
struggles of Matt’s wife Sarah, and is stellar lyrically, saying “It’s not in what you hold on to, it’s in the One who’s holding
you tonight.”
If you can imagine Sanctus Real’s track “Whatever You’re Doing,” then you can imagine “Let Go,” almost the same both
lyrically and musically, a song about letting go of control, because we know that God is in control and knows what He is
doing in our life. “Trust” reminded me of Meredith Andrews’ “As Long As It Takes” track, as Matt speaks of trusting in God
and not forgetting the goodness of God, even things aren’t going right.
The strong “You Are My Treasure,” based on Matthew 6:19, speaks of making Jesus your treasure, so that when the
enemy comes to steal, it has no effect on you, while “Without You” is a prayer to God, speaking of how much we need
Him, and how there is no life without Him. Next, the strong piano track “Let It Bring You Praise” is a song of surrender to
Jesus, asking Him to use our every breath to bring glory to Him. “Little Girl” was a treat, featuring vocals from Audrey
Assad! A lullaby, this duet speaks to Matt’s daughters, telling them that God is there for them whenever they call upon
Him: “Jesus bends to hear you breathe/ His tender hands are holding you tonight/ His heart is ravished when you look at
Him/ And oh, the endless mercy in His eyes…” “I Couldn’t Love You More” follows on the same note, as Matt assures his
family, “I couldn’t love you more, but somebody does – Jesus.”
Finally, “This Is Grace” ends Every Falling Tear, speaking of how the reason we have to walk through suffering is to see
that we are nothing apparent from Christ. A nice contemporary track, the lyrics of this song were very inspirational, as it
speaks of blessing the Lord even through the tough times, and how His grace will carry us through the dark nights.
Closing Thoughts
After a rough year for Matt Hammitt and his family, I was eager to hear his first solo project Every Falling Tear. I was very
pleased with this project, as it not only shared Matt’s struggles and fears of losing his third child, but also shares how he
learned to trust God through it all. Be prepared to shed some tears as you listen to Matt’s deep solo project, and hear how
God has led him through his dark season in life!
Review Written By: Jay Wright [jay.wright@christianmusicreview.org] on 8/28/2011
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