Music review: Phil Wickham
by Caitlin Bletscher, Guest Reporter
Phil Wickham's "Cannons" captures many different elements that define it from his previous albums. The CD's title song, "Cannons," allows the audience to reflect on the mightiness that is our Lord. It comes across as a simple and straightforward worship song, but the chorus becomes a beautifully orchestrated love song: "You are holy, great and mighty/The moon and the stars declare who You are/I'm so unworthy, but still You love me/Forever my heart will sing of how great You are." Wickham again nails many important concepts within "Cannons," depicting a variation of adoration, love, mercy, and grace flowing from the lyrics. Each song offers a different understanding to the listener.
Some of Wickham's songs are a disappointment when considering the entirety of Cannons. "Must I Wait" has an unattractive chorus, where the words and melody seems somewhat strained. "Jesus Lord of Heaven" submits great lyrics, but isn't varied or advanced compared to many of Wickham's masterpieces. Despite some let downs, the whole CD has much more to offer the audience.
Wickham's variety still creates a well-balanced compilation. While songs like "Beautiful" and "Must I Wait" are full of fast-paced, complex instrumentals, "Home" and "After your Heart" offer a soft and reflective tone. "Home" offers a different variation from Wickham's songs: slower, smooth-sounding, and a long and heavy piece presents a great combination of conveying both an uplifting and solemn tone, which builds up momentum throughout the song to convey the climax of going home to meet Jesus. By far, I consider "After your Heart"to be the artist's best work yet. The soft chorus echoes with the high-pitched soft single notes offering hope and softening the tone just perfectly. Wickham challenges the audience, with an appropriate confrontation of an invitation to "be the revolution" and spread the Gospel. "Spirit Fall" offers a great conclusion to the CD.