By: James Southworth
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Let's get one thing out of the way: I am not usually a big fan of worship artists or albums. I actually hate that "worship" has become a genre of Christian music in some ways, because ultimately I think worship isn't one thing. A song doesn't have to repeat God's name repeatedly to be worship, or give cliched praises about him that feel void of meaning. I oftentimes think the record labels behind this genre are a little shady, more interested in earning money than anything. So, when I find a worship band I feel are doing the genre not for money but because they have a real passion for God (Rend Collective, Crowder, MercyMe, All Sons and Daughters), it's a refreshing change. With that being said, Kings Kaleidoscope might be the best new worship band out right now. Their album "Becoming Who We Are", while feeling disorganized at times, still took some incredible risks in defining what could be worship. It had a lot of interesting musical choices and lyrics that are some of the most theologically deep I've heard. Now they've returned with their sophomore work "Beyond Control". How does it fare compared to the debut? Well, I just have to say I think this could be album of the year.
The album opens with "A Resting Place", an instrumental track which boasts some excellent string work and a very big feel to it. There is an instant feeling that you're entering into something that is both large and intimate at the same time, which is how I believe worship should always feel. Then "Enchanted" starts, and right from this song I knew I was in for a gem of an album. Not only was the song SO energetic with a rock feel I've not heard from a worship song in years, it also had some amazing visual imagery: "Enchanted, Beyond control/I'm connected in a daze/Roam unconscious disengaged/In a simulated world/I sustain/Swimming senseless through a void/Ease my appetite with noise/In a stimulated world/Go insane/Shadow in a matrix". The song gives one a great feeling of immersion into this amazing world that KK establishes. They make our world look like something amazing since it is God's creation. The album goes on continuously to "Most of It", which just brims with optimism about trusting in God: "I’m learning how to live/In spite all of my fear/I’m learning how to hold on/To knowing You are near/And make the most of it/Just make the most of it". The song not only has an upbeat sound with some fun brass accompaniment, but KK perfectly states how we should live our lives: make the most of it through an understanding in God's love. It's a vindictive, challenging statement that isn't said enough in contemporary worship.
The best track of all of the highlights on this album comes in "Dust". It's a short song, but has an amazing soundscape, and probably the best lyrics of the year: "Dust to earth and ash to ocean/ Evanescent, fading fast/You are all I really have/I’m not home till heaven opens". Those four solitary lines still give me cold chills in illustrating how death is inevitable and beyond our control, so God is the only one we can truly turn to. And still, even in this dark theme KK takes solace in the fact that death is beyond their control; God is the one who has the control of that. "Dust" shows that Earth, while a dark place, is our temporary home, and God is there to guide us through. The way the lyrics express it feels new, and once again, the lyrics made me think and feel challenged. What a song. And still the greatness continues with the "Ride On Reprise", which is the first time in a while I've felt Auto Tune was used right. It's not overbearing, and still creates the somber feeling of the simple lyrics "Turn my heart and rest my weary soul". "In this Ocean" parts 1 and 2 takes the listener through a pretty incredible musical and lyrical journey starting off as upbeat, and then taking a lot of unpredictable shifts in sounds, ending off on a decidedly epic note. Lyrically, it reminds of "Oceans" by Hillsong, which isn't a bad thing at all. The song urges the listener to take the challenges God gives us knowing that they're not too great for us: "Stepping out, into faith/Terrified of our fate/Tense and uncertain/As our feet leave the shore/And the sails fill and roar/We need assurance/It’s enough that He calls us His own/And he knows our names/We are bound to the end". The water motif really works throughout this song, staying away from cliches and instead making the song feel interesting and large in the right way. "Friendship (Interlude)" ends off the first (and more upbeat) part of the album with a great improv jazz segment which is just a lot of fun and works with the happy textures of the previous songs.
The second part of this album slows things down a bit and becomes more somber, ending off this worship album in just the right way. "Lost?" is right up there with "Dust" for me, just in different ways. Where this song excels in is its simplicity. Only Chad Garner's vocals and strings take over the song, and the result is beautiful. The lyrics are profoundly poignant: "No need for control/All my running your redemption retraced/At your cross held my exhausted embrace/Now I wander in your glorious maze/Lost in grace, lost in grace". In both lyrics and sound Garner expresses a legitimate awe in God's presence in a way that feels profound and simple at the same time. The childlike wonder shown here is executed perfectly; I can really see people coming together and lifting their hands up for this one. "Sabotage/Home" expresses the hardships of living accompanied by a huge expansive sound, and a wonderful solution offered by God's presence: "With my home now far from view/This is home right here with you/You have sabotaged this sea/Now you're walking here with me". It was interesting to see the term "sabotage" given a more positive diction in the sense that Garner wants God to sabotage, or interfere, in his life the right way and offer him rest.
The next song to discuss gets a little section all to itself, because it is definitely the most controversial worship song to come out in years. I was surprised to even hear a worship song was causing controversy, as they usually stay pretty safe. Not so with the song "A Prayer". The reason for this controversy? The f word was used a few times in the song. Now, I can definitely understand the uproar over this. The Bible has given several implications that no unclean words should leave our mouth. But, based on the interview with Chad Garner, I can understand WHY it was used. I'm not saying the usage is justified but I get it. Basically, in this song, a really broken down individual was crying out to God, and this word was used in a raw moment. Just look at the Psalms in the Bible. A lot of them express strong anger towards God. I think many of them in modern context could have curse words attached to them. Paul himself did not have a clean tongue, and yet God used him to spread his word. I think the reasoning for using this word came from a good place. I still ended up getting the clean version of the song, which uses "vicious" instead. Ultimately, the usage of this word still doesn't tamper with the passion and vigor behind this song, which feels like an honest prayer that Garner could have made at a low point in his life. And the payoff, which is a response from God, makes it all worth it.
The album ends off with "Trackless Sea", which feels like it defines the whole album: the song is big, has surprising turns, and has once again great lyrics about trusting God in controlling things beyond us ("The faith I want, is bound in apathy/I’m tired of doubt, and feeling incomplete/Still, this hope I hold is my reality"). Honestly, this is the best worship album to have come out in years. It has a sound to it that feels totally its own. There are so many different types of songs too, ones perfect for group worship and others entirely for intimate moments. The lyrics to every song are thought-provoking and can spark great discussions while inspiring worship. Musically, the album keeps interest throughout, logically shifting from upbeat and expansive to subtle and small. There really is an album of the year contender here. You'd be missing out if you didn't at least give this masterpiece of a work one listen.
Favorite Songs: "Dust", "Lost?", "Sabotage/Home", "Enchanted", "In this Ocean (Parts I and II)"
Least Favorite Songs: If I had to choose, "Gone", but even this one is good.
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