Jeremy Thomas Camp was born on January 12, 1978 in Lafayette, Indiana. His major label debut was 2002's STAY. His first wife died young of ovarian cancer. Camp married his second wife, Adrienne, on Dec 15th, 2003. They have two daughters and a son. In 2014 he released I WILL FOLLOW which peaked at #1 on the US Billboard Christian Albums Chart and at #25 on the US Billboard 200. Fast forward to 2017 and he put out THE ANSWER (Stolen Pride/Sparrow) which I will be reviewing here. It peaked at #2 on the US Top Christian Albums Chart and at #33 on the Billboard 200. Here is my review:
1. 'Word of Life'. It's the album's techno pop lead single penned by Jeremy, Colby Wedgeworth, and Ethan Hulse. It's a song of testimony: "You called me out from the grave/So I can live like I've been changed/There is a new song in my soul/And it begins when I breathe in/Your Word of life.../The old has gone away/Only Your love remains/I am alive today/Cause You called me out".
2. 'My Defender'. It's a modern worship number: "You're my Defender/You fight for me/I will remember/You're all I need/You are my Healer/My remedy/Against the power of the unknown/And I will not stand alone/Cause You're my Defender.../I'm saved by the blood/I'm saved by the blood of Jesus".
3. 'The Answer'. An inspirational ballad/anthem penned by Jeremy, Ed Cash, and Scott Cash. Background vox by Jason Eskridge and Nikki Conley. "I know the answer to every question/The one solution to every fear/I know my help and where it comes from/Jesus, He is the Answer/He sees our sadness/He feels our sorrow/And in our weakness, He is strong/He holds the weight of/All our failings/Great is our sin but greater the cross!"
4. 'Storm'. Invites God's presence into our lives: "Come like a storm/Come like a crashing wave/Oceans will roar/As we lift high Your Name/Come like a storm/Come like a storm/Come like a storm/As we lift high Your Name/Rushing wind usher in Your presence/Heaven's rain push away all fear/Mercy flow breaking over my heart again/How we need more of You".
5. 'My Father's Arms'. A lovely adult contemporary number. "My Father's arms are wider than the sea/And I'm standing on the shores of majesty/No matter how far I run I can never outrun His love/My Father's arms are holding me.../Here my fears are gone/Here I'm safe from harm/There is nowhere else that I would rather be/Here, only here".
6. 'Never Stopped Loving'. Penned by Jeremy, Joshua Silverberg, and Jess Cates. This one is an adult contemporary ballad about God's faithfulness to us: "You kept on calling my name through all my darkness and haze/Even when I fell apart You held me close to Your heart/When I had gone astray/How You would chase me/How You would chase me/When I was so afraid/You would embrace me/You would embrace me/You never stop loving/Never stop loving me/You never stop loving/Never stop loving me".
7. 'Tell the World' includes this cry for revival: "I wanna see Your people set on fire/I wanna see the nations on their knees/The only hope, the only hope/Is found in the mercy of the King".
8. Jeremy, Adam Cappa, Ed Cash, Jonathan Smith, and Casey Brown wrote the adult contemporary anthem 'Heaven's Shore'. It anticipates eternal life: "I will run like a child to the arms of Your love/I will sing with the tongues of angels/With those who've gone before/When I look upon Your face/The very moment I have craved/In Your presence, forevermore/On heaven's shore/To leave this place is to leave my fears/And step into the light of the glory of my King/I'll see in full and bow in awe/In the presence of my Savior's majesty/I can't wait, no I can't wait".
9. 'Carriers' acknowledges our need for the Holy Spirit's power and guidance when witnessing: "Fire of heaven/Fall down on us/To be carriers, carriers/Filled with Your power/Filled with Your love/To be carriers, carriers/Into all the world we'll go/Until every nation knows/The Name of Jesus/The Name of Jesus".
10. Seth Mosley is a co-writer on the catchy pop/dance track 'Love So Great'. The lyrics are pretty uncreative but I still like the song: "How could I not proclaim the power of Your Name?/It's flowing through my veins/Your praise I cannot contain/I cannot contain/What a love so great/What a price You paid".
11. 'Awake O Sleeper'. A rootsy rocker penned by Nicholas Kirk and William Wilkerson. "Do you hear the Lion roar?/Wake, o, sleeper/Stand with me, we'll fight the war/Wake, o, sleeper!/Let no man bring me harm/I bear the marks of Jesus/Let no man bring me harm/I bear the marks of the Lord/I said let no man bring me harm/I bear the marks of Jesus/Let no man bring me harm/I bear the marks of God".
THE ANSWER is a great album that you won't easily tire of. I'm rating it 84 percent as there are a lot of great songs here. Fans of daytime CCM radio will enjoy it most. Fans of Camp's rockier efforts will be let down by this record. I would give the album an even higher mark, but it really doesn't show much growth as an artist in this case. For more info visit: www.jeremycamp.com. As usual his vocals are great!