Music to Check out NOW

Reblogged from Radical Womanhood
July 4, 2011

Need a new worship cd? 

Check out the roots rock-influenced worship album, The Blood and the Water, from Sojourn Music. I've used that genre description loosely, because the variety of styles on this recording could include Americana, Appalachian, blues, indie, and country--but the focus of the lyrics is timeless. The entire album is based on the hymns of Isaac Watts, an 18th-century theologian and pastor who penned the bulk of his hymns in his early 20s. Therefore, I'm not surprised Watts continues to inspire young adults even today.


One of my early favorites is an adaptation of "Early My God." The simple piano melody and plaintive vocals create a personal psalm of worship in a world of trials and afflictions. The last two lines have been ringing in my head since I first heard them:

Early my God without delay
I haste to seek your face
My thirsty spirit faints away
Without your cheering grace

Not all the blessings of a feast
Could fill my soul so well.
As when your richest grace I taste,
and in your presence dwell.

My spirit toils with this lifeʼs gloom
And fights to stay the course
Remind me of that heavenly hour
When you called me yours.

Another early favorite is the bluesy "Death Has Lost Its Sting," a ringing guitar elegy. Overall, I enjoy the musical creativity of this album. It's full of surprises, challenging the expected sound of Christian music. If you like The Civil Wars (another personal favorite!), you are likely to also appreciate Sojourn Music. Check it out in the video below.