Worship Review // Warr Acres // Hope Will Rise

Artist: Warr Acres
Album: Hope Will Rise
Label: Dream Records
Release: October 29, 2013

 

 

 

If you haven’t taken the time to familiarize yourself with Warr Acres yet, take it from us….you need to! Be sure to check out our interview with them here.  Warr Acres hail from Victory Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and take their name from the suburb of Warr Acres, where their church finds its home. This is a fantastic group with powerful songs for a new generation. Let’s take a closer look at Warr Acres’ album “Hope Will Rise”.

Pulse // The album leads off with this dance-y track that will get your foot tapping. While not the most apt song for congregational singing, the song is great and has some strong lyrics. It sings out the power of God and will encourage you while making you want to dance at the same time. The chorus sings “We see Your greatness and Your fame / Our life is anchored in Your name / We join the heavens with our song / And all the earth will sing along.” Maybe have this on a playlist and people walk in to the service.

Freedom Fall // This synth-driven trance track is a crying out for God to give us His all and “let [His] freedom fall”. While “Freedom Fall” won’t find a home anywhere in a Sunday service, maybe keep it on the playlist for the youth group game night.

Light Up The Night // This bright track is uplifting right from the whistle-y intro. The message of the song is clear and simple: God, teach us to be your light and let us shine in this world. The instrumentation — bright horns, thumpy bass, funky rhythm guitar, and a chorus of voices backing it all up — makes this a very lively track. I’ve gone back and forth on suggesting this song for congregational worship, and I’m going to say that you should carefully consider your congregation before putting this song in the setlist. 9 times out of 10 you’d probably be better off picking another song, but I think that for the other 1/10 this song could be great. Regardless, this would definitely be a song to put on the playlist as people are walking in.

Beautifully Complete // The somber synth-cello intro opens with a confession of fear and doubt which culminates in a reminder that God’s promises for hope, and not for harm (Jeremiah 29:11) stand firm even in our trials and disbelief. The song quickly builds into a passionate praise of our God’s redeeming love, cleansing presence, and freeing mercy, finally crying out, “When I’m found in you, I am beautifully complete!” This song is very vocally accessible, not too high or too low, with a moderate lyrical pacing and solid message, making it great for congregational worship.

This Beautiful Life // Another upbeat, electro-pop track. The message is simple, “make the most of what you’ve been given”. This is a great motivational track and I recommend listening to it. I wouldn’t lead this on a Sunday morning and don’t think that is it’s intended use but it is a great song nonetheless.

Hope Will Rise // “Uplifting” is the name of the game for this album, and the title track brings it with solid builds and swells that make it easy for the worshiper to pour his/herself into the song, lifting eyes, hands, and minds upward. The opening 2.5 minutes alone are a (2x) repeated declaration of who God is:

   “Faithful forever are you, God

Merciful Healer are you, God

Mighty Redeemer, are you God

Shielded Defender are you, God”

and it gets better from there. If you haven’t listened to this track yet, do it. Right now. This song looks at the muck and brokenness of our world and then directs the congregation to the shining beacon of hope that is our mighty God. I would love to hear a congregation do this song.

Lovesick // “Lovesick” has some of the same look and feel of a pop love song (without the heartbreak, of course). The song is somewhat of a dialogue, with the first half being a confession of love for God and gratitude for His love and Grace. The second half is a reassurance from God’s perspective, and His confession of love for us even through our “fears and flaws”. While a good message rests at the core of this song, melodic and lyrical style keep it from being congregationally accessible.

So Much Greater // Another upbeat, driven track with some bright synth overtones and a great chorus. This is a song of praise and chasing after God. It’s about making Him number one, living “in awe of You and only You.” This song lends itself more to a festival worship gathering, but it can also be used congregationally for college or high school students, as it is more of a niche song, geared towards younger audiences.

Come To Jesus // “Come To Jesus” is itself a call to worship, and “rejoice with lost ones found / with the chained who’ve been unbound / with the sick who now are healed forever”. This track declares the unity that we have in Christ as followers who have been healed, freed, and redeemed. Even with the simplest instrumentation, this is a wonderful song to bring to your congregation to encourage them to Come To Jesus. If you have a smaller band or acoustic worship try this one.

All Around // This anthemic track is a classic example of a festival worship song (think college or high school retreat). Pounding drums and thumping bass back up lyrics that lift praises to the Father and yearn to see His Kingdom come. Again, while “All Around” is not quite apt for congregational singing, it’s a perfect fit for this album as a great praise track.

Psalm 27 // This song is one of my favorites on the album; it caught my attention before I even knew I would be writing this review. It’s so melodically and instrumentally rich, featuring piano and a full string section that really do so much to give the song a greater sense of fullness (and the 3 minute piano/string outro is beautiful). “Psalm 27” is a song of hope and faith in the Lord that excellently reflects David’s own Psalm 27. In my opinion, this song has potential for a congregational setting, but it makes an excellent performance piece as well if your team occasionally leads a song for the church to partake in without singing along.

Nobody Else // A pretty standard track in terms of sound using a standard band without any frills. There is little change in dynamics until building into the final set of choruses, and the lyrics, like “Hope Will Rise” and “So Much Greater”, focus on the fact that our identity is found in God and that He alone is God, nobody else. This song isn’t an obvious congregational pick, so use your judgment to determine if it fits with your congregation and your band’s repertoire.

Linger // “Linger” is a tender track built solely on piano and vocals, which allows the lyrics to really shine through. While I would not recommend the song be sung congregationally, this wonderful, heartfelt song still carries a strong message about the power and importance of abiding in the presence of our God.

Here At Your Feet // “Here At Your Feet” is a slower song with standard instrumentation and lyrics that sing about “turning [our backs] on worthless things” to sit at the feet of our Lord. The pacing and style of this song, in my opinion, make it not an easy choice for a congregational setting, but it may work for some of your churches. You know your church so use your judgment.

I found Hope Will Rise to be a fantastic album that covers the spectrum from all-out electropop praise tracks to intimate and personal songs of prayer. Musically, Warr Acres utilizes an awesome mix of instruments throughout. I especially love the early tracks that rock the bright synth with driving drum and bass.

This band brings a whole lot of energy and passion into this record, and the end result is music that sings the hope of the Gospel at the top of its lungs.

I hope you found this review helpful and that you take some time to enjoy this awesome album.

Give all glory to God.