Even as its 17th album release, Passion continues to provide songs for the church that span farther than their annual conference of young adults. From worship leading veterans like Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, David Crowder, and Christy Nockels, to relatively newer additions like Kristian Stanfill, Brett Younker, and Melodie Malone, Passion: Even So Come is a collection of songs that will challenge and inspire.
The heart of Passion: Even So Come lies in the title, as many of the songs represent a longing and desire for Jesus to be honored & glorified. Having been able to attend one of the conferences that was offered this year, I had the privilege of experiencing these songs being introduced live. But regardless of whether or not you were able to attend one or not, Passion: Even So Come captures the songs in a large sound that can be re-translated into any worship setting.
The album begins and sets the tone with the title track, Even So Come, a bold statement asking for Jesus to come. While this song is very anthemic and very thematic and may not work at your average church worship service, it is still quite poetic with the imagery of the church as the bride of Christ. Our church has already used the bridge outside of the song in open worship times (“So we wait, we wait for You. God, we wait, You’re coming soon.”).
Continuing on, upbeat songs like Shout Hosanna, The Way, and The Cross Of Christ bring high energy forward while other songs bring times of contemplation like Draw Near or Wonder, the Crowder-led song-based on How Great Thou Art. Melodie Malone leads the widely popular Jobe/Johnson song Forever (We Sing Hallelujah) which, sandwiched with the rest of this album, is a nice glue to the overall vision, both musically and spiritually speaking.
A nice balance of instrumentation, it’s good to know that these songs are not limited to stadium-sized bands, as earlier this year Kristian Stanfill introduced a handful of these songs on just an acoustic guitar. And if you’re a fan of the stripped down sound, you’ll appreciate the Deluxe Edition which includes quieter versions of classics such as We Fall Down, The Heart Of Worship, It Is Well, and How He Loves, all from a surprise late night session at the conference.
Passion’s recent music has shown that they are able to focus on the big picture as much as the small, intentionally producing music that can apply to all kinds of worshipers – the electronic fist-pumping The Way, the anthemic & confident Even So Come, the traditionally lyricized Wonder… Passion knows that the church is filled with unique individuals with unique worship styles and has succeeded in creating an album that speaks to many of them.
With such a powerhouse of leaders under one roof (and within one album), be sure to pick up your own copy of Passion: Even So Come!
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