Rating: 4 out of 5 stars [iTunes Link]
And, now, something nice from up north.
The City Harmonic is a band that has been on my radar screen since last fall, and their sound, in my opinion, is one of the more fresher sounds in Christian worship music today. Their Introducing EP [iTunes link] had some interesting offerings, most notably the wildly popular “Manifesto,” so I was looking forward to the eventual release of their first full-length album. I got even more excited when I heard that I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home) contained all new songs; none of the songs from their EP would be on this record (aside from the radio edit of “Manifesto”). Great news for worship leaders and fans, because that means more new music from this great band.
More great news is that the Canadian-bourn band didn’t disappoint... for the most part.
What continues to strike me about this band, now having listened to this album since last October, is how much they remind me of Coldplay. Maybe it’s their use of the piano. Maybe it’s the voice of lead singer/pianist Elias Dummer. In fairness, the band does not use as much synthesized sound as Coldplay, so the comparison falls apart there. And, despite your thoughts on Coldplay, I think their sound is well-suited for the worship setting, striking a chord with listeners that other bands have (oddly) not done as much.
The theme of the album is interesting, as it is heavily inspired by the thoughts of Martin Luther King. Much like King’s idea of “a better way,” the band believes that there is a higher calling for the church to live. Instead of embracing the “artificial” nature of the culture around us, we are to wake up and live for the real Truth in the world. We are to be changed in Christ, standing counter to culture, and finding hope in the light of God during the hills and valleys of life.
And, there are some great songs that convey these points along the way. “Yours” and “Mountaintop,” in particular, are optimized for corporate settings. Still, I feel that the album runs out of steam, after the midway point of the record. As great as the message of the album is, it feels very top-heavy. “Holy (Wedding Day)” is a good effort to end on a powerful note, but I’ve been left with this feeling of incompleteness about this album. If it was paired with the band’s first EP, then this album would be worth five stars in my book. It’s a great record, and I’m looking forward to more worship music from the Great White North, but I wouldn’t buy this album without getting the EP as well.