Review

I was thrilled when I got the call to review Vineyard Music's new release, Sweetly Broken. I had gotten an advance release copy at a worship retreat I attended back in January. I've just about worn that CD out already. Almost immediately, we incorporated the title track into our worship services with plans for a few more of the songs in the coming weeks. It would be hard to overestimate how much I have enjoyed and been personally uplifted by this album.

Though there are several great songs and a bunch of good ones, the title track is hard to top. That's probably why it was the first one our worship band learned. There aren't too many songs that can take you from a really intimate place and then transition you into this powerful expression of worship... return you to that same tender feeling of love and shortly move you back to the place where you feel as if your insides are going to bust out if you don't offer him everything you are... and have... or ever will have or ever will be. I'm not sure how good of English that last phrase is, but it certainly describes how I feel when I sing this song. The words of the chorus just seem to jump out of me when I sing it...

"Lost for words, so lost in love,
I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered."

I don't see how this song won't become one of the best songs that ever came out of the Vineyard fold. The album is worth it just for the title track, but the great thing is they follow it up with a slew of others that are just as singable and exciting.

Bless His Name, the second track, picks right up where Sweetly Broken leaves off. You worship leaders are going to be thrilled to have another awesome song to open your sets with. This tune really fits the bill as a "call to worship." Once you get the chorus going, it's hard to stop... and the bridge reaches out and invites all of God's creation to join in the song of songs. I love songs that you hate to stop singing. If you can find a good place to stop this one, good luck.

Crispin Schroeder's lead vocal really polishes off We Need Your Touch. I really love what the producers did with this one. Crispin's gravelly tone backed by the smooth yet powerful gospel harmonies of the choir beg you to ask them to "sing it again." The repeat button on my player is getting a real workout. This song would be great at "camp meeting," if you still have such a thing where you worship. This brings up another point: the musical variety they offer us on Sweetly Broken. Powerful anthems, intimate moments, ethereal, almost otherworldly sounds, rockin' good tunes, great acoustic music, black gospel... That kind of variety makes it hard to get tired of listening.

There's a great remake of "If You Say Go" featuring Rita Springer. It was good to hear her again on a Vineyard production. Ryan Delmore takes us for a great ride on "Better Than Life." Michael Hansen and Christina Peppin's "Fill Me Now" had already become one of my favorites. Being a keyboard player, it's a song I feel I can really do justice to on my instrument.

I wouldn't want to fail to mention "I Will Trust You" by Chris Lizotte. Great verse, great bridge, great chorus. It's often hard to find all three of those in a single song. I often want to mix and match those pieces from different songs. One has a great chorus, another a great bridge, etc... But Chris has done a masterful job musically and lyrically with every part of this tune. It's another one that once you start into it, stopping places are hard to find.

"Oh Lord My Shepherd Be," "What Can I Bring," "Fraction Anthem" (a great song to celebrate the Lord's Table with), "My Redeemer," "Have Your Way"... Time and space prevent me from commenting on them all, so pick up the album and judge for yourself. You may have your favorites, but you won't find a bad song on this project. This is Vineyard's best since "Dwell."

Review by Danny Mullins