Review

Darrell Evans needs no introduction to most if you have been listening to worship music anytime in the past 8 or so years. From his inaugural release Let The River Flow in 1997, to his absolute groundbreaking CD Freedom, Darrells music has become a fixture in worship. With songs like, Trading My Sorrows, So Good To Me, Freedom and Your Love Is Extravagant to his credit, one wonders how much better it can get. Darrell has penned and sung songs that have truly become standards covered by too many artists to name. I was recently on a mission trip down to Mexico and was asked to lead a couple of worship songs in English, after we had worshipped in Spanish for the better part of the morning. Trading My Sorrows was one of the songs that I chose to lead and the Spanish speaking congregation was totally worshipping God through that song even though I was singing it in English.

With his brand new release, Uncharted Waters, I think that Darrell has written a number of songs that are destined to be used over and over in many worship settings as well. Darrell has always (in my opinion), been able to write into his songs, words, thoughts and ideas which resonate so clearly with so many people. His writing is honest and gritty and has that quality that just grabs you right in the heart and then doesnt let you go. The disc opens with a great song called You Stole My Heart, which is a song from Gods perspective of the love that He has for us and one that points to the fact that God has been for us from before we were even born. The essence of this song is that God is an ever faithful God who is for us and will never fail. There are songs of hope and songs of challenge on this project. A song of trust that is particularly poignant is Uncharted Waters which points to our utter dependence upon God:

My vessel over water glides,
til the hindrance be my pride,
So teach me through each stormy gale,
that Your compass will not fail

Lines like these are so typical of Darrells writing. Lines that are so poetic without being trite. Lines that bring the reality of Christian life and the struggles that we go through to a place that we can all identify with. I must say as well that the music is really well fit with the lyric on this project. The production is wonderful and you find little hidden musical nuggets all over the entire CD. The backing vocal line on Uncharted Waters is one of example of something that is so simple yet has a complexity inferred that definitely adds to the depth of the song.

The song, When I Pray, is another song that fits so well together both lyrically and musically. This tune takes you on a three and a half minute jaunt through the life of Joseph and David and then lands you at a place of thanksgiving for what Christ has done for us as believers and how God hears our prayers, answers our cries and is the only one who really hears us. Beautiful Savior is yet another song on this CD that is very simple, but extremely powerful. I have already slated this song for use for Easter next year. I can see the video that I will use to accompany the worship team doing this song for our services. This song has the feel of kind of drifting down a slow river and by the time you reach the end, you are in the midst of the rapids and the song reaches its crescendo with all the fierceness of some class-five water.

The last song that I want to mention is Fields Of Grace, a tune that Darrell released on his last CD, Consuming Fire. That song was definitely the strongest song on that disc and Darrel has reprised it in a live version for you to enjoy. There are so many treasures to be had on Uncharted Waters, that the only way that you will be able to enjoy them all is to get a copy and listen to it repeatedly. I really encourage you to do that, trust me it will be a few dollars well spent and you will enjoy this CD all summer.

Review by Bryan Bloom