Signed to Fair Trade Services in 2020, Hope Darst is a relatively newish artist. Yet she is also a veteran singer and songwriter as well! Am I confusing you? Well, you see, Hope has been a songwriter and worship leader for her home church The Belonging Co recently, but prior to that, she has been traveling the world for a great number of years- actually over a decade leading worship with Women of Faith, Every Nation Ministries, Christ for All Nations and many more organisations. In 2010 Hope even released a 4 song EP (featuring Hillsong Worship’s smash hit “You’ll Come”), which has now been removed from the internet (for reasons yet to be disclosed). In 2020, Hope dropped her Fair Trade Services label debut album Peace Be Still (which we reviewed here); yet in November last year, Hope returned with her follow-up release- the EP If The Lord Builds This House.
Written by Andrew Holt, Ethan Hulse, Jonathan Smith and Hope herself; the title track opens proceedings, with the melody speaking about letting Jesus Christ be the builder of our lives. A CCM, radio-friendly melody, and a track that will fit right at home on K-Love Radio; Hope delivers a solid melody, but a track that doesn’t really ‘wow’ me. It’s a song that speaks about building our foundation that is life on Jesus- and having Him as the basis for everything we believe in and having Jesus as our cornerstone and our main ethos of all that we do. However lyrically, there can be issue with some of the lyrics. As Hope boldly proclaims in the chorus that ‘…if the Lord builds the house, nobody can tear it down, when it’s built on His name, there’s nothing gonna shake this ground…’; could it be that she is advocating for a stress-free life and literally no dramas or issues whenever we put our faith in Jesus. Jesus has said countless times in the Bible that when we are Christians, life won’t be that easy. And as so…. Does this melody provide us a rosy-coloured outlook on life- an outlook that’s too positive and too optimistic? Food for thought, but generally, this melody is moving, inspiring and thought-provoking- and so Hope has overall delivered a song that speaks to the heart and to the soul. The EP closes with another version of this single (This time sung with Gotee Records artist Jon Reddick), and generally this melody is nonetheless inspiring and moving.
The rest of the songs from Hope on this EP may sound ‘standard’ musically- CCM-ish and the like; but lyrically and with a deeper listen, there’s plenty of gold nuggets to gain and eternal truths to glean. “Breakthrough’s Coming” is a gospel inspired Jesus Culture-like worship melody whereby Hope ardently and fervently relays to us all that we ‘…might feel like there is no hope, staring at a Jericho, but when Jesus shows up on the scene, you know somethings about to change…’, reminding us all that we can indeed call upon Jesus especially when we feel like there is no hope- because He will answer us- but perhaps not in the way that we expect. Similarly, “Honey” is another standout, with Hope essentially delivering to us a full-on worship song, as she powerfully and emphatically cries out that ‘…Your name to me is sweeter than honey, it’s all I need, more than enough, Jesus, You are the very air that I breathe…’; however the radio friendly piano ballad “Never Walk Alone” (with a ’radio-friendly’ track length of 3:33!) sadly misses the mark both musically and lyrically, with Hope singing out clichés plentiful, outlining in the most basic form that ‘…I’m a witness to Your faithfulness, in every storm, in every step, looking back never once did You let me go, and no matter what the future holds, You’ll work it for my good I know, You are faithful and I never walk alone…’. “Give You The Glory” features David Leonard on guest vocals, and is a vibrant, earnest, emotive, heartwarming and passionate piano led melody- simple lyrically but still poignant, that is by far the standout on this EP, as both vocalists declare that ‘…I give You the glory, all of the glory, I give You the glory, again and again, this praise isn’t for me, my worship is only to give You the glory, forever amen, forever amen…’. If The Lord Builds This House then ends with the reassuring, comforting, reflective, and contemplative ballad “Coming Back”, with Hope exuberantly relaying that she will always be running back to Jesus no matter what, and that ‘…when I have nothing left, I’ll give You everything, if only just a drop, I’ll still pour at Your feet, when I don’t have the strength, God, I know that You do, I’ll keep coming back to You…’.
It isn’t known whether Hope Darst will continue to write and sing songs as a solo artist beyond this new EP- is her second full length album coming soon? Or will she continue to be at the Belonging Co.? Only time will tell, but for now, definitely listen to Hope’s debut album as a whole, as well as this follow-up EP. Some songs on the 2020 debut album are skippable such as “Don’t Let Go” and “Start Over”, and some songs are far more enjoyable and biblically sound than others. However, on the whole, no doubt you’ll be blessed. And if you’ve first been introduced to Hope Darst from listening to “Peace Be Still” from Lauren Daigle, then…listen to this version on the debut! And when you’ve worn out that album, listen to If The Lord Builds This House. You’ll definitely gain something from this melody, and you’ll definitely be closer to God as a result as well! Well done Hope for much needed worship project, as well as your debut album! May God richly bless you with abundance in 2023 and beyond!
