The EXILE – Crowder
****
Three years after Milk & Honey, Crowder is back with another excellent album in The EXILE. The album, which features a number of musical styles (rock, country, CCM, worship), was produced by Ben Glover and Jeff Sojka. Themes include exile, salvation, our purpose in life, growth in our Christian life, prayer, and hope. It’s one of my favorite releases of 2024 thus far.
Here’s a few comments about each song:
Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:
- More of this review and a review of Worthy is the Lamb by Michael W. Smith
- Music News
- Song of the Week Lyrics ~ Servants of a Gracious King by Jon Troast
The EXILE Intro – This is a very brief intro to the album.
Grave Robber – This rocker about being saved was the first song released from the album. It was written by Crowder, Ben Glover and Jeff Sojka. The song features some grungy guitar, excellent drumming and backing vocals.
Key lyric:
I got stolen by the grave robber
Picked me up from that rock bottom
Washed my soul in that holy water
Brought me back to life (Brought me back to life)
–[DASH] – This song was written by Crowder, Jeff Sojka, Ben Glover, TobyMac and Louie Giglio, and features TobyMac on vocals. The song is asking about our purpose on earth between our birth and death. The upbeat song features guitar, synth, bass, and percussion. The vocals of Crowder and TobyMac blend well.
Key lyric:
There’s a day we’re born, day we pass
In between, there’s just a dash
What on Earth am I doin’? (Yeah)
STILL – This midtempo song about growth in our Christian life, was written by Crowder, Ben Glover and Jeff Sojka. The song features guitar, bass, drums, and backing vocals.
Key lyric:
He’s working on me still
Changing me piece by piece still
Making me better, gonna do His thing
Don’t care how long it takes till
Rinsed In The Blood – This rocker about being saved was written by Crowder, Ben Glover and Jeff Sojka, Solomon Olds, and Rebecca Olds. The song features keys, guitar, bass, drums, and backing vocals. God is going to get His man.
Key lyric:
Rinsed in the blood, battle been won
Deadman pulled right outta that mud
Baptized by the fire, washed in the flood
Ain’t dirty no more, you’re rinsed in the blood
Even In EXILE – This song about hope was written by Crowder, Matthew West and Jeff Pardo. The song features keys, synth, drums, guitar, and backing vocals. The song builds in intensity during the chorus.
Key lyric:
But there’s still a promise, there’s still a song
There’s still a Rock where my help comes from
Hope is not lost, hope is not gone
Even in exile
Somebody Prayed – This song about the power of the God awe pray to was written by Crowder, Ben Glover, Jeff Sojka and Michael Cochran. The song features acoustic guitar, bass, drums, keys, and backing vocals. The song builds in intensity during the chorus.
Key lyric:
So every night there by your bed
When you fold your hands and bow your head
Not a single word you’ve ever said in vain
‘Cause He hears everything
Hands Of Jesus – This song about the hands of Jesus was written by Crowder, Ben Glover, Hank Bentley, Jeff Sojka, and Jonathan Smith. The song features piano, bass, drums, guitar, and backing vocals.
Key lyric:
So bring your hurt and
All your broken pieces
And put them in the miracle-working hands of Jesus
Lord Of All – This worship song was written by Crowder, Ben Glover and Jeff Sojka. The song features keys, backing vocals, guitar, drums, and bass. The song builds in intensity during the chorus.
Key lyric:
All glory to the King
Always, eternally
God of everything
Lord of all
Unstoppable – This rocker was written by Crowder, Ben Glover and Jeff Sojka, Solomon Olds, and Rebecca Olds. The song about the power of God in us features guitar, bass, drums, harmonica, and backing vocals.
Key lyric:
When I got You, I am unstoppable
When I got You, nothing’s impossible
No way I lose, I am unbeatable, powerful
Stronger than invincible
I feel bulletproof when I got You
When I got You
All My Tears – This song was written by Julie Miller and features Buddy Miller. Some will remember the excellent Jars of Clay version of the song from their Good Monsters album. The song features acoustic guitar, drums, bass, electric guitar, and backing vocals.
Key lyric:
And it don’t matter
Where you bury me
I’ll be home, and I’ll be free
It don’t matter where I lay
All my tears be washed away
Truth Be Told – This song was written by Crowder and Hank Bentley. The song features acoustic guitar, banjo, backing vocals, drums, and bass. The song completes the exile theme.
Key lyric:
Every little thing’s gonna be alright
Tears of joy is all we’ll cry
Every little thing’s gonna be alright
On the other side of exile
Favorite songs:
Grave Robber
-{DASH}
STILL
Rinsed in the Blood
Even in EXILE
Lord of All
All My Tears
Truth Be Told
Worthy is the Lamb – Michael W. Smith
Michael W. Smith’s latest project is a five-song live worship EP that four classic songs – “Were You There”, “Above All”, “In Christ Alone” and “Agnus Dei”, and the highlight, a new song, “Crimson Dust”, which Smith wrote with Tony Wood. The first four tracks were captured live with the Nashville Recording Orchestra and a choir at the Fisher Center at Belmont University. The recording took place in 2023 as a part of an Easter Special in partnership with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The songs are beautifully performed, though I’ve never been a fan of “Above All” because of the lyric:
You took the fall and thought of me
Above all
On the cross, Jesus was doing the will of the Father (Luke 22:42). He wasn’t thinking of me above all. The lyric communicates that Jesus thought about me more than his Father’s glory and that’s simply not true. That aside, I know the song has been a Smith favorite since it was released on the Worship album in 2001.
On the new song, Smith says, “Crimson Dust, which I wrote with Tony Wood, sets the scene of the day of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.” You can watch Smith perform the song here. The chorus of the song is:
I see heaven touching earth
Every drop of matchless worth
Redeeming love
What gain, what loss
Crimson dust beneath the cross
Crimson dust beneath the cross
This new EP is a nice addition to Smith’s catalog, with the highlight being “Crimson Dust”.
Music News:
- Beautiful Day. Enjoy this acoustic version of “Beautiful Day” from Amos Lee.
- A Red, Red Rose. The latest release from Keith and Kristyn Getty, to celebrate their twentieth wedding anniversary, is “A Red, Red Rose”, the lyrics of which were written by Robert Burns in 1794. Enjoy the lyric video.
– Servants of a Gracious King by Jon Troast
This week’s song of the week is “Servants of a Gracious King”, written and performed by Jon Troast. Jon is the worship leader at Christ Church PCA, the church I belong to in Normal, Illinois. He wrote this song for the sermon series on Paul’s letter to the Philippians. You can listen to the song here.
We are servants of a Gracious King
Who has served us in His suffering
Christ our Savior, to Your name we sing
“Hallelujah” is the only song we bring
Oh rejoice, you children of the Lord
And remain steadfast, in one accord
It’s not trouble to tell you once more
Oh rejoice, oh rejoice, oh rejoice
And stand firm when trials come your way
When you’re persecuted, stand in faith
For, the Son of God has made a way
Oh stand firm, oh stand firm, oh stand firm
We are servants of a Gracious King
Who has served us in His suffering
Christ our Savior, to Your name we sing
“Hallelujah” is the only song we bring
Press on in faith, press on in love
Press on, that you might take hold of
The final goal, that heavenly prize
The upward call of God in Christ
We are servants of a Gracious King
Who has served us in His suffering
Christ our Savior, to Your name we sing
“Hallelujah” is the only song we bring
And lay down your works of devotion
All of your good deeds, no, count not one
For they can’t compare with what He’s done
Lay them down, lay them down, lay them down
We are servants of a Gracious King
Who has served us in His suffering
Christ our Savior, to Your name we sing
“Hallelujah” is the only song we bring
“Hallelujah” is the only song we bring
