Phil Wickham - Heaven & Earth
Artist:
Title:
Heaven & Earth
Type:
Album
Released:
17 Nov 2009 (US), 30 Nov 2009 (UK)
LTTM Rating:
Your Rating:
Review
I've never been into U2; I don't know why, it's not a conscious decision or anything, I've just never really paid that much attention (apart from that song that had Boyzone in the video - that was quite obviously a different matter) but I can recognise their influence in other artists. I say all this because this album was screaming U2 at me from the opening chords of the first song.
Phil Wickham's voice comes in strong and passionate for the first track. It contains a rawness in places which complements the lyrical content and warm melodies. It's a great...
Read More I've never been into U2; I don't know why, it's not a conscious decision or anything, I've just never really paid that much attention (apart from that song that had Boyzone in the video - that was quite obviously a different matter) but I can recognise their influence in other artists. I say all this because this album was screaming U2 at me from the opening chords of the first song.
Phil Wickham's voice comes in strong and passionate for the first track. It contains a rawness in places which complements the lyrical content and warm melodies. It's a great opening which makes you feel like you are already in the middle of something really cool rather than just starting it. There is, however, a certain bubble-gum quality to it but somehow it manages to work.
The creativity of this album really comes into play during the second track, Coming Alive. This starts a trend of immense musical creativity which flows through the rest of the album and is particularly noticeable in the intro of each song which will always catch you by surprise. This leads to a pretty eclectic album that still manages to sound united and fluid.
The downside with the great musical content is that the lyrics seem to fall into the background. A lot of times when this happens it's blatantly because they were an afterthought and shouldn't be given too much attention by the listener. However, on this album when you force yourself away from the interesting arrangements the lyrics are incredibly strong and can only be described as complimenting it.
On the whole, this is a really great album. It's really surprising to find that this is the fifth album from Wickham and he isn't as well known as this offering suggests he should be. Without a doubt, this should be the album to change that.
Review by Suzanne Physick
LTTM Rating 4.5 out of 5
Standout Tracks
Coming Alive
The Time Is Now
Your Arrival Articles
Phil Wickham will release his third studio album 'Heaven & Earth' on 17th November. Produced by Pete Kipley (MercyMe, The Afters, Kutless) 'Heaven & Earth' is described as "not only an encouraging album from a lyrical standpoint…
