Welcome back to another worship review! Today we are looking at the newly released album “Asaph” by the incredible (and underrated) Loud Harp. These guys are putting out music that is very different from most popular worship music but that is certainly usable and anointed. Let’s get into the song by song breakdown! (note that I have put some general thoughts at the end)
Take Heart// This song, like many Loud Harp songs, is a very simply structured song with repetitive sections. This really allows the listener to catch on quickly and gives the lyrics time to resonate. Songs with repetitive sections often become ones were the Spirit can really move in someone’s life, simply because it gives the worshiper time to ponder the words that they are saying and to really express these words in a personal, worshipful way. This song really points to the faithfulness of God in our lives and how we should be faithful to trust him for his timing. “We will wait for you, we will see your goodness; We will wait for you, you will restore us; We will wait for you, your face will shine upon us. We will wait for you.”
I’m Yours// This is another beautiful yet simple song with repetitive lyrics. The chorus is very catchy and easy to relate to. It establishes our identity in Christ, no longer as slaves to sin, but as his adopted children! I find this to be one of my favorite tracks on the album and one of the most usable in a worship setting. This would be a good song to maybe ask your congregation to sing out their praises by speaking or singing the things they have been set free from. You could introduce such an act of worship by bringing up the lyrics: “you gave me a voice and taught me how to sing”. These words really express how we have been given a voice to worship him. This could encourage the congregation to sing out their praises in a new way. Praise God for the freedom he gives us in worship!
The Nearness of You// A little more deep lyrically than the previous ones, the subject matter of “The Nearness of You” is coming from Psalms 73, talking about recognizing the goodness of the Lord but turning from him in sin. The Psalm deals with Israel as a country but it is applicable to our lives. This is another song dealing with God’s faithfulness to us and how clear his love and will are in our lives. This song is musically very mellow and beautiful, also containing a lot of repeated lyrics. This song could definitely find its way into a themed setlist but may be a little obscure sometimes without an explanation. That being said, is it ever really a bad idea to praise God for his nearness and presence in our lives?
You Heard Me// You heard me is a beautiful song dealing with God’s protection and unfailing love in our lives. He heard us crying out and near death and held our eyes open and sang over us and brought us back to life. This song may be another one that would fit better in a certain spot or in a specific kind of service. When I listen to these lyrics, I am reminded of God’s healing and how he resurrects our lives, so, to me, I could see this song being particularly meaningful in something like a Celebrate Recovery service or even during a time of hurt and healing in your church.
Ascent// This is an instrumental track, very cool. This could find a place in a ministry video or as background music.
I Lift My Eyes// The words in this song come from Psalms 121. They praise God for being our constant help, always evident in our lives, always our source of peace and confidence. We are called to set our eyes and gaze on Him. There is always a place for praises like this in a worship set, no matter how humbling the simplicity of this song. There is no flash necessary to sing out our boasting in the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
My Portion Forever// Another awesome instrumental track that could be very useful for multimedia purposes.
Out of Zion// Out of Zion really explores the glorious facets of God’s greatness and our humble fear and admiration of him. The lyrics, “Tremble in your love, drowning in your flood, tremble in your love, I bow” really point to his glory. This is a great praise song in a more somber mood and Loud Harp has really touched on some parts of God’s greatness that are both biblically described and physically relatable.
The Fire and the Flood// “This time when you come do not keep silent. This time when you come, don’t hide your face”. These words, inspired by Psalms 50, exemplify our longing for God’s glory. Sometimes we lose sight of what happens in worship: God showing us glimpses of his glory. This song is about God opening the fire and flood to overwhelm us in his presence. Needless to say, this is my favorite track on the album, lyrically, because I find it just inviting to the spirit. It’s taken me a while just to finish this write up because I find myself in my own personal worship every time I listen. This song also lends itself to a time of reflection in God’s presence, possibly a time for personal prayer.
Beautiful Son// This song brings us back to praising Christ for his sacrifice and resurrection, giving him his demanded and deserved glory. This song does not need to go very far lyrically, it is here to call us back to the cross. This song could be very useful in a lot of different instances, but I am particularly keen to its usefulness in the venue of a resurrection service.
Steadfast love// The last track on this album brings things to a close once again reminding us of the protective love of God and his ever-present watch care over us. How beautiful is it that “He is my fortress, my refuge”? Pointing to the safety and love of God is an incredibly encouraging time for your congregation, especially in times where your church may be going through physical pains or emotional heartache. This is a beautifully simple song that points to the Lord’s will in our lives.
General thoughts: The entire “Asaph” album is usable in a church service in some way. All of the songs on this album are almost entirely from scripture or are, at the very least, scripture inspired. All of the songs, other than “I’m yours” and “Beautiful Son” are inspired by the Psalms of Asaph and are labeled by the chapters they are from. The musical style is probably different than the style implemented by most churches right now but is certainly still very usable and easily arrangeable. All of the songs are simply structured and contain a lot of repeated lyrics, making them catchy and easy to learn, not to mention that the music is beautiful and may push your musicians to worship in a new way. It is very clean guitar focused with less stress on effects which could be very useful to a team that may be struggling with distractions that are often associated with gear. All in all, I think implementing Loud Harp’s music into your church’s musical repertoire will assist both the congregation and your team in many different ways. This album was a blessing to listen to and analyze and hope you and your church are equally blessed!
Christ-Centered Worship