Lion

A beautiful collection of new songs, some slow and contemplative, some much louder and bass-heavy, generously presented in a two-disc format. There's lots of scripture contained in these songs, and I found myself picking up the words to some and singing them randomly throughout the day. However, I did have trouble catching the words to other songs, and will need to look them up online before I can really enjoy the song or sing along. Some are congregational and can readily be joined in with, while others are great just to listen to. The musicality is both professional and complex, without distracting from the spirit of the songs. Definitely worth listening to, over and over again.

Elevation Worship returns with their most ambitious album to date. Fifteen tracks (with a couple of songs hovering around the 10-minute mark), this is a huge project clockwise as well as song wise. Musically, the album canvases a broader spectrum from rocking anthems to piano ballads to rootsy Gospel, it is great to see the team taking more risks. LION is the follow-up to their highly acclaimed Graves Into Gardens (2020) and special collaboration project Old Church Basement (2021) with Maverick City Music. \\n\\nWith the huge success trailing the previous two projects, expectations are high when it comes to LION. Overall, the team doesn't disappoint. In a genre that is currently inundated with slow pensive ballads, the rockish """"What I See"""" is a much-anticipated track. Featuring an electric guitar-imbued undercurrent,""""What I See"""" is a call to see how the resurrected Christ is still at work today. The pop-centric """"Same God"""" has the word """"classic worship song"""" written all over it. The title cut """"LION,"""" with its various depictions of Christ as presented in the book of Revelation, shows depth and maturity in the team's scribing skills. \\n\\nBallads abound, though not all of them are superior, the Tiffany Hudson-led """"Forever YHWH"""" is heartfelt and prayerful. """"Dancing,"""" featuring Joe L Barnes & Tiffany Hudson, can be interpreted as a love song between couples or a worship song for God.