Gotee Records

Release Date: February 3rd 2023

Reviewed by: Joshua Andre

Cochren & Co.– Running Home (Amazon mp3/iTunes)

Track Listing:

1. Running Home
2. By Our Love
3. The Lows
4. Thank God For Sunday Morning
5. Be There For You
6. Good Memories
7. Parking Lot
8. Through The Night
9. The Final Say (feat. Josh Baldwin)
10. Future Glory

Recently signed to Gotee Records, Cochren & Co. (fronted by Michael Cochren) joined the label home with labelmates like Jon Reddick, Ryan Stevenson and Terrian, and former labelmates such as Relient K, Aaron Cole, Courtnie Ramirez, Finding Favour, Jamie Grace, Capital Kings, and Morgan Harper Nichols, to name a few. To tell you the truth I wasn’t really a fan of Cochren & Co. when their first song “Church (Take Me Back)” released a while ago (as I was presented with Sidewalk Prophets and Micah Tyler vibes- and both those artists are only so-so, and not outstanding, in my own opinion!)… but now in 2023, I’ve come to appreciate Michael and his band. With Don’t Lose Hope the debut album releasing in 2021, we reviewed the project and have come to realise just how powerful and genuine and inspiring Michael is as a singer and as a songwriter. As singer songwriters are now a rare breed (either the artist writes the songs but doesn’t sing them, giving the song to someone else; or they do write songs and sing them, but they are of a lesser quality, because frankly, many of the popular artists currently aren’t really great songwriters!); Michael joins another group entirely- the singer who is actually a great songwriter as well. “Church” (the lead single from Don’t Lose Hope) has grown on me immensely since its inception until now… and if there’s an album to listen to in 2023 that we may have missed, then I’d say it’s this sophomore album from Michael titled Running Home, which released in February this year. Simply because like the first album, it’s full of encouragement, heart and inspiration- and don’t you reckon we all need hope and encouragement in 2023, on the back of some of the most harrowing of days ever in recent memory? As Michael Cochren, the lead singer of Cochren and Co., displays his vocal chops greatly, on quite possibly the most underrated CCM label; let me remind you all that Running Home isn’t flash nor it is punchy out of the gate, however these 10 songs (yes, my nitpick is that it’s a way too short album!) are poignant, compelling and powerful. That’s more than you could hope for, as Michael is changing people’s lives and pointing people to the true meaning and purpose of life- and that is to live a life that points to Jesus Christ as being the answer to every question.

Opening with the energetic and vibrant CCM-rocker that is the title track, Michael channels his inner Bear Rineheart of Needtobreathe vocally, and explosively and fervently delivers an exquisite and powerful message of love and acceptance, with the story of the prodigal son being fleshed out in song. As Michael cries out and sings that ‘…it’s been a long time running down a dead-end road, lookin’ for that something that could fill my soul, never found what I was searching for, it’s been a long time running from a messed-up past, but you can’t go forward when you’re lookin’ back, but I ain’t looking back anymore…’, we are presented with the story of forgiveness and the story of never being too far gone for God’s love. Yes, we can run from our troubles and everything we think is out to ‘get’ us. But Jesus reminds us time and time again, that in His timing we will know of His unending love for each of us. When that happens, we will never be the same again.

This album is all about running into the arms of God. It’s my story, but I also believe it’s the story of anyone who has found themselves far from home spiritually. We’ve all heard the saying there’s no place like home. When I think of what ‘home’ means, I think of comfort, rest, safety, and love. When we go off looking for these things in the broken world, we will never find them. Ultimately, we only find what we need when we return to our loving God.

The title track is an anthem declaring, I’m done running away, I’m running home! And for my story, in my wandering years when it became more and more clear that the things I was using to fill my emptiness were really making me more empty, like the prodigal son, I began feeling a draw on my heart to return to my spiritual home. Yet I had this fear in my mind that God was just waiting for me in anger, to punish me. But that’s not how the parable ends… the father runs to greet the son, throws a robe around his back, a ring on his finger, a kiss on his cheek, and then they throw a party for him! I received this welcome from God, and that’s the welcome that’s waiting for anyone who says: I’m done running away, I’m running home!

The rest of the jovial, cheerful, and happy-go-lucky album brings a smile to my face, as Michael sings about God’s love and about the joy we will receive in our hearts when we fully know Jesus and His Love for what that really is. “By Our Love” speaks about the fact that people around us will know Jesus by the love of Jesus that we share to them and by the sheer presence of Jesus that is oozing out and emanating from us- that is so infectious that they can’t help but ask about Jesus; while the introspective and alternative rock melody “The Lows” juxtaposes the high with the low and concludes that we can’t fully experience the high of the high and the joy of the high without actually going through the lows first. “Thank God For Sunday Morning”, a catchy CCM melody and potential official radio single (and not just a promotional single!), speaks about being grateful for Jesus Christ and His work on the cross and for the resurrection and everything we sing about in churches on Sunday morning- simply because it is only through Jesus that we can and are made new and whole; while the much-needed and rather timely “Be There For You” speaks about sitting with someone in their hurt and their pain and just being with them rather than preaching to them.

“Good Memories” the lead single, is a summer jam and a laid-back breezy acoustic-like melody about having fun and catching up with old friends and family- although not about Jesus, the melody does celebrate the camaraderie we all share as believers and as humans on planet Earth; while the confessional and autobiographical melody “Parking Lot” speaks about when Michael became a Christian, and about how it wasn’t a flash nor grandiose place, but rather in the car in a parking lot one Tuesday night. “Through the Night”, about mental health, anxiety and feelings of isolation, depression and abandonment, speaks about the fact that Jesus can cleanse our soul and Jesus can and will be near us, especially in times where mental health and other issues can take its toll; while “The Final Say”, a quasi-worship song of sorts, speaks about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and is sung with Josh Baldwin, with Michael declaring that because of the resurrection, we can and should worship Jesus Christ with all that we have. Running Home then ends with the gospel-infused and worship/rock anthem “Future Glory”, with Michael powerfully relaying to us all the fact that we have this future glory and this certainty in Christ Jesus- and for that reason alone we can praise His name and sing it out from the top of our lungs.

There you have it…Cochren & Co.’s second full length album Running Home. Aside from the somewhat unnecessary melody “Good Memories” which isn’t really about anything, there are no weak spots here; and the album as a whole offers up confronting messages that we all ought to take to heart in the upcoming weeks ahead. In a label that is sadly not as vibrant as it once was, Gotee Records are sure to be on the up, with the signing of Cochren & Co. Easily one of my favourite release surprises of the last few weeks; this is a must-have if you enjoy similar artists like Sidewalk Prophets, JJ Weeks Band, and Micah Tyler. Congrats to TobyMac for signing Michael and his band, here’s hoping that Cochren & Co. will have a long, long future, which will be just as exhilarating and impacting as this impressive sophomore project!

3 songs to listen to: Running Home, Be There For You, The Final Say

Score: 4.5/5

RIYL: Finding Favour, MercyMe, Matthew West, JJ Weeks Band, Micah Tyler, Sidewalk Prophets