FULL & LOVELY
Somewhere between the prescient life observations of Chris
Rice and the passionate, pop radio worship anthems of Chris Tomlin resides the
exuberant, relentlessly upbeat ruminations of Matt Maher (pronounced ‘Mar’ like
‘Car’). Though
Empty & Beautiful
might be an introduction of sorts to fans of contemporary Christian music, it
is, in fact, Maher’s fourth album. (His first three were released in the
Catholic market by OCP Records.)
Maher and his team of songwriters, players and producers
expend tremendous effort crafting pure pop tunes to embellish solid lyrics that
explore the attributes of God and our response to Him. The result is a 12-song
collection that actually sounds effortless, familiar and inviting, even though
it plumbs the depths of theological truth.
The bright and bouncy opening track, which oddly enough
sounds like an anthem for the Reformation, boldly declares, “Your Grace is
Enough” (previously recorded by Chris Tomlin). “Look Like a Fool” uses a gently
rocking rhythm to declare the nature of what the Apostle James calls, “true
religion”: “
Feeding the hungry/Clothing
the naked/Giving the homeless a place to rest/Visiting the prisoner/Lifting up
the lowly.”
Grace, love, truth—Maher’s songs challenge, encourage,
teach, exhort and rejoice while making you feel good just by listening to them.
Yeah, this is good stuff.
–Mike Parker