For KING & COUNTRY – Unsung Hero (The Inspired By Soundtrack)

Word Label Group

Release Date: April 26^th 2024

Reviewed by: Jonathan Andre

For KING & COUNTRY – Unsung Hero (The Inspired By Soundtrack) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)

Track Listing:

You’re The Voice
Place in this World (feat. Michael W. Smith)
She Believes
To Hell With the Devil (RISE) (feat. Lecrae & Stryper)
Checking In (feat. Lee Brice)
You Make Everything Beautiful (feat. Rebecca St. James)
Rhythm of My Heart
Unsung Hero (Single Edit)
Harmony (feat. Sleeping At Last)
Lead Me On (feat. Amy Grant)
I Surrender All (feat. Hillary Scott & Michael W. Smith)
Crazy (Theatrical Version) (feat. Rebecca St. James)

For KING & COUNTRY have always been a band that are a joy to listen to, and no matter the preference of musical genre, I’m sure, that anyone who hears this infectiously hopeful and poignant duo, are sure to be blessed and encouraged. While compared to a lot of CCM pioneers that have shaped what Christian music is today (Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Rich Mullins, Keith Green, Stryper, PETRA, Sandi Patty, Twila Paris and Russ Taff, to name a few), the band is relatively ‘new’; the band have since been honing in on their craft since 2012…so not necessarily newbies in the industry anymore! Joel and Luke (lead singers of the band) have created a duo that have challenged us listeners to stretch the bow a little bit in terms of the classification of music that is deemed ‘Christian’, and really remind us, that God can speak to us through a variety of different means, not just solely through ‘Christian’ influences. They have crafted their career in such a way that allows the songs they’ve carefully created, to sit with listeners in a reflective way, delving deep within our psyches and challenging the very nature of what we were to believe is true, about ourselves, God, love, life, and the rest of it. Joel and Luke have created something special in for KING & COUNTRY, and this is a band that has made waves continually in the CCM realm, and now into the mainstream market as well (with the injection of their song ‘relate’ and their previously poignant and powerful songs ‘Together’, ‘God Only Knows’ and ‘Burn the Ships’). The band have been a household name for quite some time, ever since their chart-topping song ‘Busted Heart’ hit the radio waves all those years ago, having taken the media, listeners and the whole general CCM industry by storm since their arrival to Word Label Group back in 2011.

Relocating to Nashville in the early 1990s, the band have continually focused on powerful instrumentation and anthemic moments of revelation, realisation, and heart, as these songs delivered by this duo, allows us all to declare and proclaim, especially during current seasons that are difficult and trying. Their 2022 album What Are We Waiting For? was career-defining for them- because of that album, they were able to gain exposure on The Kelly Clarkson Show, not to mention that album in particular winning Best Pop/Contemporary album at the 2023 Dove Awards. I even reviewed the album here, while my brother reviewed the singles ‘Love Me Like I Am (feat. Jordin Sparks)’ and ‘For God is With Us (feat. Hilary Scott)’. Not too long ago, I also reviewed ‘What Are We Waiting For?’ the single, the unreleased track that was ‘supposedly’ the title track off their 2022 album. In 2023, the band unveiled What Are We Waiting For +, and now further along into 2024, the band have now come out with another album release- Unsung Hero (The Inspired By Soundtrack).

With this album doubling as both the band’s new studio album, as well as a soundtrack album, these songs (not all of them originals either) recorded by the band, shaped not only the band for a while now, but also their childhood throughout the 1990s too- this album unveiled at the end of April, also releases in the same week as Unsung Hero, a biopic movie about the Smallbone family’s relocation from Australia to America in the height of the Australian recession of the 1990s (thereby telling the story of the childhood of Joel and Luke Smallbone, of the successful band for KING & COUNTRY, as well as the story of their older sister Rebecca Smallbone- who became CCM songstress Rebecca St. James), and the life of a humble Australian family and their struggles, joys, triumphs and difficulties of uprooting a family of 7 kids, halfway around the world, from Australia, to the land of U.S.A.

While this album may make more sense if listened to in conjunction with the movie as well (giving both album and movie a sense of context), this album on its own can still be enjoyed, nevertheless. Songs like ‘Lead Me On’ (Amy Grant), ‘Place in This World’ (Michael W. Smith), ‘Rhythm of My Heart’ (Rod Stewart), ‘You’re the Voice’ (John Farnham), ‘Crazy’ (Seal), ‘You Make Everything Beautiful’ (Rebecca St. James) and the old timeless hymn ‘I Surrender All’ are all given an updated for KING & COUNTRY treatment- Amy herself lent her voice on ‘Lead Me On’ as well, whilst Michael W. Smith and Rebecca St. James were present, alongside the duo, on ‘Place in this World’ and ‘You Make Everything Beautiful’ respectively. The duo even collaborated with 1980s rockers Stryper and Lecrae to deliver a wildly different (but still timeless and a great homage to) take on ‘To Hell With the Devil’, while the duo collaborated with country superstar Lee Brice for an emotional original track titled ‘Checking In’, a song that highlights the emotion around moving from one corner of the globe to another, in the midst of family difficulties and struggles. All in all, this album, without watching the movie, is still great. With the movie (and much more context), then I’m sure these songs would mean so much more. The way that Joel and Luke have updated songs from the 1990s is nothing short of emotive, compelling and enjoyable- their version of the John Farnham classic ‘You’re The Voice’ is a favourite of mine, while you can never go wrong with ‘Place in this World’…right? Well done Joel and Luke for this soundtrack album. Looking forward to watching Unsung Hero when it drops in cinemas in Australia at the end of May 2024.