Old hymns cast new

Redemption Songs Jars of Clay. Essential Records, 2005.

In a modern worship culture that sometimes leans towards self-centred recognition of God, people are looking back at old hymns of adoration and finding the ability to worship there. That’s probably why almost everyone I know has asked me, over the last couple of months, what I think of Redemption Songs.

As go many “modernizing” projects, it would have been easy for Jars of Clay to quickly filter a bunch of old hymns through some distortion and echo and, thus repackaged, proclaim the coming of the “new” hymn. Instead they have carefully and painstakingly captured the essence of each hymn in a refreshing and ultimately worshipful context.

Guest spots abound: the Blind Boys of Alabama stop by on “Nothing But The Blood,” a playful but ultimately hearty bluegrass interpretation, and they pop up again on “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand.” Martin Smith of Delirious also makes an appearance on the reflective “Let Us Love And Sing And Wonder,” a quiet worship track that brings new life to old words.

As with any project this ambitious, Redemption Songs has a couple of throwaway tracks. “It Is Well With My Soul” is reduced to a limp acoustic track that substitutes meaningless melody variations for its previously epic chorus. This brings up a good point: if you enjoy hymns just as they are and have no taste for modern worship styles, Redemption Songs is not for you. If you enjoy both hymns and modern worship, however, you will find Redemption Songs well thought out, well put together, and reverential.

Kerry O’Brien is a musician who attends Waterloo (Ont.) MB Church.