|
1. Eden
2. Coming Alive
3. Heaven & Earth
4. The Time Is Now
5. Hold On
6. Safe
7. I'll Always Love You
8. In Your City
2. Coming Alive
3. Heaven & Earth
4. The Time Is Now
5. Hold On
6. Safe
7. I'll Always Love You
8. In Your City
Heaven and Earth
[Release Date: November 17, 2009] (INO Records)
Track Listing:
Track Listing:
9. Your Arrival
10. Because Of Your Love
11. Cielo
12. Heaven Song
10. Because Of Your Love
11. Cielo
12. Heaven Song
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
4.0 out of 4
2.7 out of 3
2.0 out of 2
0.9 out of 1
9.6 out of 10
Message
Music
Production
Creativity
Overall Score
| 96% A |
In some ways, the seed that eventually grew into Phil Wickham’s third studio album,
Heaven and Earth, was planted while reading Donald Miller’s Searching For God Knows
What, which happens to be one of my all-time favorite books. There is a chapter about
Adam and Eve and how humanity falls in the first chapter of the Bible. Like Phil, I am
also very moved thinking about the concept of struggling with our separation from God
knowing that we had Paradise. First song “Eden” is all about that idea and right from the
first notes of Heaven and Earth, Phil had me hooked both musically and lyrically. Even
with the critical acclaim he’s garnered, for the first time in his career, Wickham feels
that he has a story to tell: he wants to remind the Church for what and who we are
created for. The album continues with “Coming Alive” and if you like mainstream Brit-
rock artist Keane, then you need to get this album. Not only does Phil’s vocal style
resemble Tom Chaplin, but musically his tight guitar licks and synth-rock style also
reminds me of U2 and Coldplay which is pretty amazing company in my opinion.
What sets Phil apart from those best-selling mainstream artists is his sincere and
unapologetic faith-filled Christian lyrics. Title track “Heaven & Earth” features Phil’s
signature soaring vocals with these very convicting words: “these are the lines we’re
choosing to cross, between heaven and earth.” That sentiment is really our calling as
Christians to live by faith and be in the world but not of the world. Possibly the most
catchy track on this very catchy album is next with “The Time Is Now”. The song has
another calling for Christians: “let’s be the resistance, it’s time, the time is now for lifting
souls, the time is now for letting go, let light and love come rushing through the door.”
As I delved into the amazing lyrics the song swirled musically with a great electronic
string melody that I’ve been humming all day. As if I couldn’t be more impressed
musically, Phil knocked my socks off with next track “Hold On”, one of my favorite
songs ever by Phil Wickham. If you like “Spiralling” by Keane, you need to hear this
song. Musically it picks up where “Crumble To Pieces” and “Must I Wait” left off, but
takes it up a notch with a synth-dance rock beat and extremely catchy and very sing-able
lyrics: “love is going to make it right, just hold on, just hold on, there’s mercy in the
morning light, when you’re weak, love is strong, hold on.”
The first single on the album, “Safe” also features a duet with MercyMe’s Bart Millard
who just so happened to be passing through San Diego as Wickham was recording the
song. The lyrics of “Safe” serve to encourage, strengthen and remind listeners that they
are not alone as they say, “You will be safe in His arms, You will be safe in His arms, the
hands that hold the world are holding Your heart, this is the promise He made He will be
with You always, when everything is falling apart you will be safe in His arms.” The
next four tracks “I Will Always Love You”, “In Your City”, “Your Arrival” and “Because
of Your Love” all keep Phil’s emotional vocals and catchy musical style going as a great
musical experience leading up the two closing tracks “Cielo” and “Heaven Song” which
bookends the concept started with “Eden”. “Heaven Song” has Phil quietly confessing
“Oh my God, I’ll be ready for You, I want to run on greener pastures, I want to dance
on higher hills…my soul is getting restless for the place where I belong.” This album is
just filled to the brim with Phil Wickham’s brilliant songwriting, singing and musical
style. He deserves multiple GMA award nominations and is my male vocalist of the
decade!
Closing Thoughts:
This is definitely Phil Wickham’s best overall album and one of my top 10 albums of
2009. For me the standout songs are “Eden”, “Coming Alive”, “Heaven & Earth”, “The
Time Is Now”, “Hold On”, “Safe” and “Heaven Song”, which are all among Phil’s best
songs ever along with his all-time classics “Divine Romance”, “Beautiful” and “True
Love”. I can imagine singing many of these songs with fellow believers and although
Phil hasn’t really been a radio fixture in the past, these melodies are off the charts and
any test audience will have a hard time not giving these songs 5 star ratings. This is a 5
star album.
Heaven and Earth, was planted while reading Donald Miller’s Searching For God Knows
What, which happens to be one of my all-time favorite books. There is a chapter about
Adam and Eve and how humanity falls in the first chapter of the Bible. Like Phil, I am
also very moved thinking about the concept of struggling with our separation from God
knowing that we had Paradise. First song “Eden” is all about that idea and right from the
first notes of Heaven and Earth, Phil had me hooked both musically and lyrically. Even
with the critical acclaim he’s garnered, for the first time in his career, Wickham feels
that he has a story to tell: he wants to remind the Church for what and who we are
created for. The album continues with “Coming Alive” and if you like mainstream Brit-
rock artist Keane, then you need to get this album. Not only does Phil’s vocal style
resemble Tom Chaplin, but musically his tight guitar licks and synth-rock style also
reminds me of U2 and Coldplay which is pretty amazing company in my opinion.
What sets Phil apart from those best-selling mainstream artists is his sincere and
unapologetic faith-filled Christian lyrics. Title track “Heaven & Earth” features Phil’s
signature soaring vocals with these very convicting words: “these are the lines we’re
choosing to cross, between heaven and earth.” That sentiment is really our calling as
Christians to live by faith and be in the world but not of the world. Possibly the most
catchy track on this very catchy album is next with “The Time Is Now”. The song has
another calling for Christians: “let’s be the resistance, it’s time, the time is now for lifting
souls, the time is now for letting go, let light and love come rushing through the door.”
As I delved into the amazing lyrics the song swirled musically with a great electronic
string melody that I’ve been humming all day. As if I couldn’t be more impressed
musically, Phil knocked my socks off with next track “Hold On”, one of my favorite
songs ever by Phil Wickham. If you like “Spiralling” by Keane, you need to hear this
song. Musically it picks up where “Crumble To Pieces” and “Must I Wait” left off, but
takes it up a notch with a synth-dance rock beat and extremely catchy and very sing-able
lyrics: “love is going to make it right, just hold on, just hold on, there’s mercy in the
morning light, when you’re weak, love is strong, hold on.”
The first single on the album, “Safe” also features a duet with MercyMe’s Bart Millard
who just so happened to be passing through San Diego as Wickham was recording the
song. The lyrics of “Safe” serve to encourage, strengthen and remind listeners that they
are not alone as they say, “You will be safe in His arms, You will be safe in His arms, the
hands that hold the world are holding Your heart, this is the promise He made He will be
with You always, when everything is falling apart you will be safe in His arms.” The
next four tracks “I Will Always Love You”, “In Your City”, “Your Arrival” and “Because
of Your Love” all keep Phil’s emotional vocals and catchy musical style going as a great
musical experience leading up the two closing tracks “Cielo” and “Heaven Song” which
bookends the concept started with “Eden”. “Heaven Song” has Phil quietly confessing
“Oh my God, I’ll be ready for You, I want to run on greener pastures, I want to dance
on higher hills…my soul is getting restless for the place where I belong.” This album is
just filled to the brim with Phil Wickham’s brilliant songwriting, singing and musical
style. He deserves multiple GMA award nominations and is my male vocalist of the
decade!
Closing Thoughts:
This is definitely Phil Wickham’s best overall album and one of my top 10 albums of
2009. For me the standout songs are “Eden”, “Coming Alive”, “Heaven & Earth”, “The
Time Is Now”, “Hold On”, “Safe” and “Heaven Song”, which are all among Phil’s best
songs ever along with his all-time classics “Divine Romance”, “Beautiful” and “True
Love”. I can imagine singing many of these songs with fellow believers and although
Phil hasn’t really been a radio fixture in the past, these melodies are off the charts and
any test audience will have a hard time not giving these songs 5 star ratings. This is a 5
star album.
Review Written By: Kevin Davis [kevin.davis@christianmusicreview.org] Date Written: November 6, 2009
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