Chris Tomlin - "Burning Lights"
Burning Lights is the seventh studio album released by Chris Tomlin. This is our first new album review of the new year! This album was released on January 8, 2013. This album contains many studio versions of songs released on the live album, Passion: White Flag. It seems like Tomlin is taking a different path with the sound of this album. It's not a huge change from what he has done in the past, but I am excited about where he is heading. It's amazing that after all this time, he is still able to bring new things to the table. This is not something that is commonly found in contemporary Christian music. This album features many wonderful collaborations, and is one of his best studio albums in years.
1) Burning Lights
The opening track to Burning Lights is just a one minute intro to the album. It shouldn't really be considered its own separate track because it blends so well with the next song. It is a guitar driven intro that sets the stage for his latest album.
2) Awake My Soul (feat. Lecrae) [9/10]
I thought this was one of the stand out songs on this album. As always, Tomlin's songwriting is amazing. This is an extremely inspirational song that I can definitely see getting airtime on Christian radio stations very soon. This collaboration was the one I was the most skeptical of. Lecrae is a Christian rapper. He is one of the best at what he does, but I did not think it would blend with Chris Tomlin's style very well. I was definitely wrong, as Lecrae's verses are what affected me the most.
3) Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies) [8/10]
Whom Shall I Fear is the lead single off of Burning Lights. This song was released way back in November and continues to be a top hit on Christian radio. This track is one that you will feel in your gut. As it is in most Christian music, the songwriting is near-perfect. Chris Tomlin has obviously put a lot of effort in this song, as it is still a staple on Christian music stations. Also, this track has already become a popular recording that is sung in churches across the country.
4) Lay Me Down (8/10)
This song begins to show off the changes in Chris Tomlin's sound. His voice is very unique and cannot be compared to any other artist today. But the real change is in the band surrounding him. This song does not sound like a typical Christian/worship song. It resembles bands like U2 and Mumford and Sons more than popular Christian artists. I am very excited about this because recently, Christian music has become boring because there are many songs that sound alike. I really hope this starts getting played on the radio as well.
5) God's Great Dance Floor (7/10)
This song shows off the other side of Chris Tomlin's slight change in style. With this track, he uses an electronic house beat as the backbone to this song. In the past, Tomlin has been known for his traditional use of guitars and a string section in his music. This is the complete opposite of his hit songs like "Our God" and "I Will Follow". This song could be a shot at TobyMac due to its modern, pop sound. This dance-filled worship song continues to display Tomlin's fantastic lyrical abilities. It's really great to see him experiment outside of his comfort zone.
6) White Flag (8/10)
On the Passion band's album, Passion: White Flag, this was the hit. However, Passion was a live album, and this is the first time "White Flag" has been available as a studio recording. The inspiration in this song is extremely effective. I was looking forward to hearing the recorded version, as the live version was my favorite off of the White Flag album. The first half of the album has soared way beyond my expectations. I just hope he can stay at this level as the album continues into its second half.
7) Crown Him (Majesty) [feat. Kari Jobe] {7/10}
Emotion is the focus of this song. Chris Tomlin's songwriting abilities allow for some songs to affect some people so deeply. This song is a great example of that. He is able to transmit his love of God through his music and into the listener. With this song specifically, you can really hear the passion in his voice. While this was great, I don't think it is as good of a song as some songs on the first half of the record.
8) Jesus, Son of God (feat. Christy Nockels) [6/10)
This is the first song on this album, that I found to be forgettable. Each previous song had its own special qualities that would make you want to go back and listen to them again. "Jesus, Son of God" just didn't have that same affect. It sounds so similar to songs on all of his other albums, it just doesn't really fit in with this collection of songs. However, for a duet, Christy Nockels does a great job harmonizing with Tomlin. Her sections add a little contrast to the rest of the song.
9) Sovereign (7/10)
We have definitely gone back to the Chris Tomlin who writes beautiful lyrics but is afraid to be innovative as a musician. This song is so typical for him, I seriously think this song has been on every past Tomlin album. All joking aside, I think I even recognized some lyrics from some of his other songs. What we can't forget is that it is hard for Chris Tomlin to write a bad song. His lyrics are always great, so where he falls short is usually in the way he executes the performance of the song. I really hope he goes back to what he did in the first half, trying out new sounds.
10) Countless Wonders (8/10)
Countless Wonders is another stereotypical Chris Tomlin song. It is a little more bearable in this song but I was still hoping for something different. After the first six songs I was really looking forward to the new sounds I would be hearing in the rest of the album. I didn't get those new sounds, but I did get a great, regular song. Nothing different, but another song with great lyrics and an average musical approach.
11) Thank You God for Saving Me (feat. Phil Wickham) [7/10]
I actually think this song's weaknesses come from the inclusion of Phil Wickham. This is not because Wickham wasn't good enough, it was actually the opposite. I feel that his musical personality is so great, it took away from Chris Tomlin. This could easily be a great Phil Wickham song, but it isn't. It's a Chris Tomlin song. If it was just one of the two singers, it might be the best on the record. However, the duet lowers its potential. I love each artist individually, but together on this song just didn't do it for me.
12) Shepard Boy (8/10)
The closing song is a piano driven ballad about himself. He sings passionately about how he isn't the one everyone should be excited about. Everything he sings comes from God and that is who he sings for. The story he shares is really touching. He sings for God and is just a "Shepard Boy" in comparison to him. I really loved how Tomlin showed that he can tell a story so well through his lyrics. I rarely see this type of music in Chris' work. For me, this was the most beautiful song to listen to. Every song can touch people in different ways, but on this album, this song touched me the most.
This album started off better than most of Chris Tomlin's previous albums. The first half was absolutely brilliant. Unfortunately, as it is with most of Tomlin's albums, the second half was very forgettable and did not stack up to the creativity shown off in the beginning. Regardless, this album provides many songs that are bound to be heard on Christian radio in the near future. Burning Lights is my favorite Chris Tomlin album to date. The magnitude of the great songs overpowers the forgetfulness of the basic songs. Even if you aren't Christian or if you don't like Christian music, this is a great album to listen to. Just think of the lyrics as epic love songs. If you are a fan of Christian music, you will definitely be pleased. This is the best studio album by Chris Tomlin I've heard in a long time. Burning Lights is not one to be forgotten.
Listen to Burning Lights on Spotify:
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