Worship Leader - October, 2008

for your set list. This time around try out “New Year,” “Thrill” and “You Are God.” While “Hookers and Robbers,” with an easy beat and fluid nature, cuts immediately with an edge of insightful lyrics and has the ability to sear your heart. In The Bright Sadness, Hall encourages us all to “come as you are, as you are, as you are.”

WL TAKEAWAY: Like his previous release, this is a beautifully produced CD with congregational options throughout (special music, sermon illustrations, etc.) but three specifically designed for communities to sing together. PLAYLIST: “My Brightness” CHARLIEHALL.COM

TODAY IS THE DAY Lincoln Brewster Integrity Music

For the multitude of axe slingers, gearheads and guitar gurus that fill the stages of churches across the country today, Christmas is early. What day will that fall on, you ask? Today Is the Day. Brewster brings his technical proficiency on a Strat to the forefront, yet again, on this studio release that also gives voice to his heart, which burns to proclaim the power of the Redeemer.

There has never been a question about Brewster’s abilities as a guitar hero, but as adept as he is, it’s nice when we see a few new branches on the Brewster guitar tree.

This time he sidesteps what we’ve come to expect with the bluesy gospel track “Give Him Praise” where Linc does a fine job of not feeling pressured into being the over-singing whiteboy-blues artist, but also proves that a little more groan in his groove definitely doesn’t hurt. Beyond that, Brewster bears his heart on the lovely tune “The Love of God” which lets restraint in instrumentation highlight the theme of God’s gentle protective Spirit over his children. Of course Brewster takes the opportunity to

spit fire from his guitar on the standout, “Let Your Glory Shine.” That rock-anthem displays the beautiful elevation of worship that is possible when explosive artistry and the truth are combined.

WL TAKEAWAY: The production may seem over-
whelming, but “Let Your Glory Shine” is
a congregational must-have. Also don’t miss
“Today Is the Day” for a Brewster/Baloche tune
that will work in just about any setting.
PLAY LIST: “Today Is the Day,” “Let Your
Glory Shine”
LINCOLNBREWSTER.COM

Outside of his mainstream releases,

Ronnie Freeman has proven himself an underground, card-carrying worship leader with a passionate soul that seems drawn to songs of adoration like the rain is drawn to the earth. Plenty of artists spend excess creative energy on side-proj-ects, there’s nothing new there, but Freeman’s idea of a free summer spent well is cruising to the northernmost reaches of California, hanging with young people at the camp JH Ranch and leading worship. This is where his starkly rich Big Top Hymns comes from, and like his previous JH Ranch collection, We Believe, it has us saying, don’t change a thing Freeman. Keep making pop/rock records, but don’t ignore this side, either—you are a worship leader.

Taking a bit of a country/pop attitude lets Freeman remain in the acoustic feel that matches classic hymns so beautifully, but also gives him space to meander into jazzy realms (“This Is My Story”) and keep the loops to wind around the various fiddles and cellos that add country elegance to most of the tunes (like “All Creatures of Our God and King” found on Song DISCovery 72). Even though Freeman is primarily known as a singer/songwriter, Big Top Hymns proves that he could drop the “songwriter” half