Sunday, February 12, 2017

RESONATE



Sonicflood released their self-titled debut album in 1999.  It peaked at #2 on the Heatseekers Chart and won a Dove Award for ‘Praise and Worship Album of the Year’.  ‘I Want to Know You’ and ‘I Could Sing of Your Love Forever’ were both #1 songs.  By the time the band put out their second studio album, however, entitled RESONATE (2001, INO Records), the group’s roster was completely different!  Rick Heil, formerly of Big Tent Revival, was on lead vocals and guitar.  He was joined by David Alan (keyboards, organ), Tom Michael (bass, vocals), Todd ‘Dr.’ Shay (lead guitar, vocals), and Brett Vargason (drums, percussion).  The latter three were members of the John Cox Band, while Alan had played keyboards for Big Tent Revival.  RESONATE was produced by John Jaszcz and Petra’s John Lawry, and executive produced by Rick Heil and Jeff Moseley.  In the liner notes the band writes: “To all who seek to worship the Lord through song, thank you for your continued prayers and support...May we die so that CHRIST may LIVE!  Praise the Lord, forever!”

Kevin Prosch wrote the opener, ‘Lord of the Dance’.  It’s an energetic pop/dance song that is motivational: “You’re the Lord of the dance, You’re the dancing Lord/Everybody dance now/In the Holy Spirit/Everybody love the One, love the One/Love the One, the One you love the most now/Can’t nobody stop me now/I’m gonna give it all I got/Gonna run to You, run to You/Run to You, just like a child”.  ‘You are the Holy One’ is a pop/rock song of devotion: “I will live to declare Your glory/And my heart is filled with praise/I will shout and I will sing/For all of my days/Wanna walk in Your holiness/Wanna stand for all Your ways/When You call I will say yes/For all of my days”.  The title track, ‘Resonate’, glorifies God: “Let all nature sing/Let the earth rejoice/We will resonate, resonate Your glory/Let all living things praise You with one voice/We will resonate, resonate Your glory”.

Brian Doerksen wrote the classic ‘I Lift my eyes Up’.  Here, it is performed as a duet with an uncredited female vocalist in pop fashion.  These lyrics cry out to God: “Oh, how I need You Lord/You are my only hope/You are my only friend/So I will wait for You/To come and rescue me/Come and give me life”.  ‘Fuel’ is a modern worship number: “You are the faith, the hope, the love/You are the peace, the life, the One/We are yearning/We are burning and we are yearning/We are longing for, longing for You”.

The pleasant pop song ‘Write Your Name Upon My Heart’ follows.  It’s a prayerful one: “Write Your Name upon my heart/Burn Your Word into my mind/Make a temple of this body/Let Your Spirit move inside/I have wandered through the valley/I have wondered who I am/You have come to make Your mark/So write Your Name upon my heart”.  Lead vocalist Rick Heil wrote ‘Dear Lord’.  It’s an adult contemporary ballad that acknowledges spiritual need: “Dear Lord, my heart is breaking/Breaking in two/And Lord my spirit’s torn and crushed without You”.

‘Your Love’ is one of two songs co-written by Kelly Minter and Heil.  It’s a Beatle-esque rock ‘n’ roll song of gratitude: “When I think of all You’ve done/Kept every promise/And made me alive in Your Son/In light of all this/I’ll give my life, I’ll take up my cross/Cause everything else I count but loss”.  ‘Holy and Anointed One’ includes these poetic words: “Your Name is like honey on my lips/Your Spirit like water to my soul/Your Word is a lamp unto my feet/Jesus, I love You, I love You”.

‘Lord Over All’ is a prayerful adult pop song of submission: “Be the fire in my heart/My consuming love and passion/Be the air that I breathe/The song that I sing from my heart and soul/Jesus, Lord over all/Be the Lord over me/Jesus, drawn to this altar I come/Here is my heart/May Your will be done in me”.  ‘In Your Hands’ is a relatively quiet song that comes from a place of spiritual maturity: “In Your hands/For every storm there is a reason/In Your hands/There is a time for every season/Though my tears may fall/You hold me close/And love me through it all/In Your hands...”

RESONATE has a strong, melodic title track.  The lyrics on this record praise and worship God for who He is and what He has done for us.  He is our Source of life, hope, peace, joy, and redemption.  He is our Helper and our Friend.  He is holy, glorious, and righteous.  These songs long for an intimate relationship with God and for Him to work in our lives.  On this project, this entirely new group of musicians prove themselves worthy of carrying on the name Sonicflood.  If you enjoy lively, youthful, upbeat pop and modern worship music, you should pick up a copy of RESONATE, which I’m rating 96%.  For more info visit: www.sonicflood.com.