Cortni – The After Party
Jun 17, 2011 CD Reviews
Cortni
The After Party
C2 Records
Grade – A
While this album is generally targeted at the tween/teen audience, I have thoroughly enjoyed it. The dance beat and modern rock sound of “Trophy Man” is exhilarating. Only to be bested by the message itself. Words of encouragement for teen girls who are besieged by social norms that is of the world and not of eternal significance.
As a father of three lovely ladies I cannot encourage them enough to be set apart and I am always thankful for quality music to help reinforce moral character more inline with the bible. And why not do that with a festive party like attitude – don’t wait for “The After Party,” be free in Christ and live like crazy now.
“The After Party” though is not all party-party-party, rather, Cortni shows a great amount of skill in several styles. Take for instance the R&B flavored “Sunshine,” the wispy “True Love,” and the jazz infused “Love Is Always Waiting.” The album covers a wide range of styles but maintains the positive self-image in Christ theme.
Check out her official website <http://www.cortnimusic.com/> where she has some informative video clips explaining Cortni’s hopes and aspirations – “Dream Big!” I know I will be following it closely, hoping for a concert date nearby for my little ladies and me.
- Ken
Tricia Brock – The Road
Jun 17, 2011 CD Reviews
Tricia Brock
The Road
Inpop Records
Grade – A+
“The Road” is the most amazing personal worship album this year. With a long history of rockin’ the road as the front woman of Superchick, Tricia Brock shows a more tender side with her solo debut. With the help of Brock’s husband (and producer) Nick Baumhardt, “The Road” is easily one of the most profound and encouraging worship albums to drop in recent history.
In light of this album, so much of contemporary worship today appears to be more superficially fitted for radio, while the song writing (and selection) in this case gets exceptionally profound, possibly a reflection of the maturity of an artist that has experienced an accelerated and stellar musical career while always staying grounded in her Christian beliefs.
The entire album is enjoyable from start to finish, but I do have a few favorites. Starting with “Lean,” which has a message of a reliance on God and feeling the peace of God. “So I will lean upon the cross, I will lean into Your love.” Secondly, “The Altar” is a tender and reflective worship song that has a very elegant piano soundtrack that complements the beautiful voice of Tricia Brock. “The Altar” is followed up by “Always” which carries the same theme, but with a more up beat and responsive chorus. The last two tracks, “Overwhelmed” and “Broken For Love’s Sake,” are favorites too as they also reflect on an amazing God who offers “hope, refuge and strength.” The three key factors that this project was meant to convey to the listener.
“The Road” is a solid 11 tracks of beauty, from the spirited opening of “Breath of God,” to the hymn like ending of “Broken For Love’s Sake.”
- Ken W.
Keaggy, Stonehill, Bennett, & Storm – Songs For Israel
Jun 17, 2011 CD Reviews
Keaggy, Stonehill, Bennett, & Storm
Songs For Israel
Cadlelight Records
Grade – B
“Songs for Israel” is a collaborative project inspired by a visit to biblical locals in Israel for the soul purpose of writing songs. The four contributors are well known and highly regarded in the CCM industry and the delivered product benefits from their collective efforts.
The CD is 12 tracks long and the varied artists give it a diverse flavor. From the masterfully acoustic “House of the Lord” to the airy “The Secret Name of God” and the bluesy “John the Revelator,” the sound bounds all over the field. While at the same time it always maintains a reflective feel that draws you into the song in an cerebral way.
All together you could not ask for a more spiritual and serene listening experience. Keaggy, Stonehill, Bennett, & Strom take you on their journey to the holy land through their inspirational music.
“Songs For Israel” was produced in cooperation with Candlelight Christian Fellowship. For more information on Cadlelight check out their official website at http://www.candlelightfellowship.org/.
- Ken W.
Glo Bible (Redux)
Jun 3, 2011 Feature
Back in March of 2010, I wrote a review for a new multimedia software bible called “glo.” At the time it was only available on the PC, it was a powerful bible tool with many fascinating features. Now, a year later, I have a full-blown version on my Mac with all the same features and more.
The most significant change is the global licensing and cloud-based features. I now can register “glo” online and pay one price for multiple devices. I am currently running “glo” on my MacBook and iPad. (I would love to be testing it on my iPod Touch as well but that is currently out of commission.) The use of the “cloud” means that I can synchronize bookmarks and personal notes within the application. And the possibilities are limitless when it comes to the information that can be provide through the application.
Another cool piece of “glo” is their integration with the “You Version” bible app. As far as light applications go, the “You Version” bible is one of the most downloaded apps for phones and iPods. Within “glo” you can start and manage many of the same reading plans provided by “You Version.” However, there does not appear to be a direct link to the “You Version” cloud so any plans I may have started with that account are not connected to “You Version” inside of the “glo” application.
I have been using both the iPad and my android-based smart phone to read daily devotions from “You Version” and not having that connection with “glo” means that I still have to run multiple applications to get that functionality. However, the partnership with “You Version” is an integral piece to the “glo” application and it means there is a lot of potential for growth and inventiveness within the “glo” application.
The full version on the laptop/desktop has a few more features (aka “lenses”) than the mobile versions, including a timeline and topical search. The iPad app so far only includes the bible and media lenses. Content is downloadable as long as you have a wireless connection and it is typically downloaded on an as needed (are called upon) basis. However, on the laptop/desktop version you have the option to download the entire package.
The new “glo” is a serious update from the original and it still remains to be the best multimedia bible application. The amount of information at your fingertips is phenomenal and with the use of the cloud that database of information can only get more expansive. The usual problem of parsing through so much information usually lies in the interface of the application, and with glo lenses access all this information is categorized and easily searchable.
Check out http://www.globible.com/ for more information and the free “Lite” version of glo.
- Ken W.
