Capitol Christian Music Group

Release Date: May 17th 2024

Reviewed by: Joshua Andre

Jeremy Camp– Deeper Waters (Amazon mp3/iTunes)

Track Listing:

1. Deeper Waters
2. Closer To You
3. No Survivors
4. These Days
5. Again
6. A Million Names
7. Better
8. Possible
9. Ready Now
10. Take It All
11. Through The Night
12. Need To Be Near
13. These Days (feat. Franni Rae)

Have you noticed a trend? Christian rock artist ____ (fill-in-the-blank) wows the charts with a rock hit single, then covers a worship tune or releases an original worship tune or their most CCM hit unexpectedly charts at radio. Then the artist deviates from the listener’s preferred genre for them, and then keeps releasing radio friendly hits for stations like K-Love and Air1. Fast forward many, many years, and now you have said artist with a different fan base… sounds familiar? Kutless, The Afters, Sanctus Real and Building 429 have all been bands who released their debuts in the 2000’s- and they have all had relative success early on as they released vulnerable, honest melodies with an alternative rock twist melodically. But now, you’d say that all of them are, for better or worse, firmly catering to the soccer mums and the stay-at-home families that home-school. Not that that is a bad thing by any means, it’s just how things have evolved, and which songs peaked on the radio and which time. Had “Light Up The Sky” from The Afters not soared, would we ever hear “Say Goodbye (Say Hello)”? If Kutless didn’t push for “Strong Tower” on radio, and instead heavily promoted their 2004 album Sea Of Faces instead, would we see an album full of worship covers in 2017? If the musical direction of Rise by Building 429 was honoured instead of a worshipful shift in Iris To Iris, would their latest single “Worry” be a rock tune instead of a, sorry to say, uninteresting and bland track that is nondescript and forgettable? So many what-ifs, but it got me thinking. Jeremy Camp has had a stellar career so far, and he has produced hit after hit thus far. But his three most recent albums The Answer, The Story’s Not Over and When You Speak are very ho-hum to me; and with the release of Jeremy’s deluxe edition in 2022 (which I reviewed here), I firmly believed that I would not be listening that heavily to Jeremy for the foreseeable future, nor would I be pleasantly surprised by his new music. Surprisingly though, Jeremy has delivered his best album since Reckless in this year’s Deeper Waters. Sure, it’s no Speaking Louder Than Before or Beyond Measure (his two most crowning achievements!), but if an artist can deviate from rock to pop and then to worship and CCM; Jeremy’s latest musical endeavour proves the contrary- that an artist can move from worship and CCM back to their roots in pop/rock and rock.

Let me just say from the outset that I love Jeremy Camp and his music on the whole. His career has delivered standout hits and have always proved to us that someone who is as steadfast in his faith as Jeremy, can sustain an industry that is, for a blunter term, tired and uninspired. CCM has always been a mixed bag- you have artists that seem to press the musical envelope and provide uniquely artistic creations that seem to do well at both a radio level, and a creative mindset to- artists like needtobreathe, Tenth Avenue North, Matthew West, Zach Williams, MercyMe, Jason Gray and Third Day…but then there are a few artists that seem to provide to us, albums where we see the artist themselves giving us something that we can often deem as ‘middle-of-the-road’. Nothing against the artists themselves, but unfortunately, they would fall into the cookie-cutter CCM melodies that maybe they themselves would’ve liked to avoid when they went into CCM in the first place (I mean, certain songs would be good on each album, but rarely would each album nowadays stand out)- artists like Big Daddy Weave, Sidewalk Prophets, Kutless, Sanctus Real…and unfortunately I’d add Jeremy himself to that category as well. Whilst he still has standout hits like ‘I Still Believe’, ‘Right Here’ and ‘There Would Be a Day’, now in 2021, he has created an album that while objectively stands Biblically sound and lyrically impactful, still falls into the trap of being a ‘trademark’ CCM album that does little to distinguish Jeremy himself compared to his contemporaries- Sidewalk Prophets and Big Daddy Weave. I guess if I can actually imagine either Mike Weaver or Dave Frey singing these songs on When You Speak with ease- that’s not a good sign, is it?

This is not a Jeremy Camp-bashing session. Nor do I want it to be. Jeremy has delivered good songs here on this album- songs like ‘Steady Me’, ‘When You Speak’, even the radio-friendly ‘Here With You’ stands out from amongst the rest, and album opener ‘Can’t Take Away’ offers to us, something different that keeps the listener interested a little- if only for that particular song and nothing else. However, I’ve found that with every passing album, Jeremy’s ability to create an album that stands out- not only amongst other albums within his whole career; but stands out amongst all CCM albums releases of that particular year, seems to be becoming less, and less, and less. Jeremy’s heart for Jesus is tremendous, and yet I’ve found that with his albums of late, the songs on his albums are becoming less distinguishable between each other. That’s not to say that Jeremy’s songs in isolation, in and of themselves, aren’t good whatsoever. But when there’s plenty of CCM artists out there, and there’s a plethora of songs that release from week to week, there needs to be some kind of distinguishing factor that makes me want to listen to Jeremy’s music above everyone elses…and there unfortunately isn’t any driving force of late that will cause me to become excited by a Jeremy Camp album, let alone this album. 

If Deeper Waters is such a step up from anything Jeremy has done in the last 10 years (and I believe it is!), then why am I including this above excerpt of Jon’s review of When You Speak, which is a negative review? To show the contrast, of course, and to remind us all, that music can change, that certain albums may not speaks to us or resonate, and then later albums can. It’s also to show us that with this album, the ‘rock’ guy in Jeremy was there all along- confirming the fact that perhaps we can be a bit too harsh on our favourite music artists, expecting them to bow down to our every wish, when in reality, they really don’t owe us anything at all. Album opener “Deeper Waters” (the title track) showcases Jeremy back to his rock roots, as he eloquently and fervently cries out that he wants God to take him back to the deeper faith he had when he was younger, and to be more and more on fire for Jesus. It’s a confessional prayer that sets the tone for the rest of the album, as we are met with more and more vulnerable, honest and powerful melodies worthy of repeat listens- and though the musical shift and redirection may shock some of us, “Deeper Waters” feels like a ‘coming back home’ type of song, as musically this sounds something similar to his early albums- and welcome too!

The rest of the album carries on from this vein of catchy melodies, vibrant hooks, and hard-hitting and resonating lyrics that are relatable to probably almost everyone. “Closer To You”, a synth-driven dance/pop song, speaks about Jeremy surrendering everything to God and asserting with confidence that he trusts God at all times, because sometimes being in the storm allows Jesus to be relied upon more, and allows our faith to grow and blossom: ‘…so I can stand in the rain and just let it pour, ’cause I know You’re standing with me in the storm, oh, I can handle this life breaking my heart in two, if it means I’m closer to You…’. Following on, “No Survivors” is a surprisingly refreshing rock/somewhat hard rock melody, as Jeremy lets God know about some things in his life that he needs to surrender to Him (‘…my ego, my pride, my grip on my life, throw it all into the fire, and leave no survivors…’); while “These Days” is the lead single, and probably one of the musically and lyrically weaker tracks on the album, as Jeremy passionately and semi-inspirationally tries to elevate us and inspire us to live a life of purpose and meaning as we dive in and work alongside God with what He is doing in our lives and in the world (‘…I believe that you and I are in the right place, at the right time, God called us by name and He doesn’t make mistakes, I know we were born to shine bright in a dark world that needed some light, don’t have to be afraid, maybe we were made for these days…’). Thankfully though, this song is still very much needed, and is a grower- while the re-recording at the end with Franni Rae elevates and enhances the message and meaning of the track immensely as well.

“Again”, a sure bet for the next single (I mean, c’mon, we can definitely imagine this on K-Love, can’t we?), is a radio friendly piano led ballad declaring that Jesus is right with us, and that whenever we need to, we can run to Him and He will indeed meet us where we are. It’s a musically cliché type of track, but for me feels way more inspiring and engaging than anything on Jeremy’s last three full length albums; while “A Million Names” is a mid-tempo worshipful ballad similar in theme to “1000 Names” by Phil Wickham, as Jeremy recounts that we all know Jesus by a million names, that ‘…the universe is calling You the Artist and the Author, but honestly, right now I just need You to be my Father …’. “Better”, led by acoustic guitar, is probably the most gut-wrenching melody on this record, as Jeremy lays down his everything to Jesus and powerfully and authoritatively cries out and commits a live to Jesus, that ‘…if I never understand or ever see the promised land, if You don’t answer my questions on this side of Heaven, I’m gonna trust the way You work, when You don’t rush to heal the hurt, my heart’s still Yours forever, even if it never gets better…’; while “Possible” carries on from the theme of trusting God and believing in Him even when it doesn’t make sense, as Jeremy relays that everything is possible with God, and that we can trust Him in everything in our lvies because of everything else He has done for us and for others in the past.

“Ready Now”, a rock tune at its core, is a melody whereby Jeremy outlines that he is undoubtedly and unequivocally ready to trust God and take the leap of faith in whatever step in next in God’s plan for what he has for him (I know, a vague song lyrically, but musically quite awesome, as it really is the Jeremy of old!); while the piano led reflective and contemplative melody “Take It All” moves and inspires us to surrender our entire selves and everything that we are, to God, knowing that He has our best interests at heart, even if we cannot see what’s ahead for us. “Through The Night”, a piano led ballad and potential radio single, speaks about the agonising reality and somewhat taboo subject of mental health and feelings of anxiety and hopelessness (is this song about Jeremy’s heart surgery?), with Jeremy concluding that Jesus is with us all through the night and in our darkest point in our lives, and therefore we can trust Him and can be confident and secure that Jesus will indeed calm our nerves and can quell the battles raging in our minds. Ending the album is the piano led prayerful and hymn-like “Need To Be Near”, as Jeremy highlights that in our times of trouble and need, we don’t really need a ‘fix’ as much as we need Jesus’ presence and evidence of His love in our lives.

If Deeper Waters wasn’t as musically refreshing or creative or rocky as it has been; then I would’ve said that I was ‘out’- only listening to Jeremy Camp of the past and not Jeremy of the present and the future. Thankfully, this project has reminded me of Jeremy’s longevity and his prowess as a singer and a songwriter. I’m still at the point when I have to sadly say that if Jeremy Camp keeps making music like When You Speak, then his music going forward may not be for me anymore. That certainly is still the case. But there’s now an added caveat. That is Jeremy keeps on making music like Deeper Waters, then I will continue to listen and be a ‘new-ish’ fan again. There seemed to be something musically unique and different and challenging about Jeremy Camp in his first five albums pre-We Cry Out. On many tracks here, that magic and spark is here again. I know I fiercely defended Jeremy Camp and him creating the music that he wants to, in my concluding paragraph on my review of Jeremy’s worship EP The Worship Project. I still stand by this- because even if the next album after this one reverts back to the sameness of the past three albums… then that’s totally fine. Jeremy is free to make music in whatever way he wants to and in whatever genre he wants to. Just as we as listeners are free to listen or not listen. However, on a more personal level, Deeper Waters took me by surprise, and goes to show you that you can’t judge a book by its cover, and you have to enter into things with an open mind. What is next for Jeremy? No idea, and I guess the beauty of not knowing is that you cherish every new album, whatever it looks like. There might not be another album on this calibre. If there’s not, then at least we have this one as a reminder of Jeremy’s love for Jesus and his love for many genres of music. Sure, Deeper Waters isn’t perfect. But it nearly is considering Jeremy’s output the past few albums, and that’s enough for me. well done Jeremy for a challenging album and one that inspires us all to trust God and to lean on Him for everything we need.

I had this crazy rapid flutter arrhythmia thing and I went through heart surgery last year. I didn’t say anything to anybody. Well, four weeks ago, I started having these arrhythmias again — heartbeats that were beating that like 230 beats per minute for 30 minutes, and it happened twice in one day where it was like beating really, really fast. It was just bad. I had to walk off stage early and they had a medical team for me. We debated on even saying anything, but honestly why would I not … [we thought], ‘You know what? As a family that’s what we do.’ You know you are our family, the family of Christ coming together. So I asked you guys to pray.

In these times, I’ve loved John 16:33, where Jesus says we shouldn’t be surprised when we go through trials and says, ‘I tell you these things so you will have peace’. He’s essentially telling us, ‘Guys, you’ll have trials in this life, whatever they may be. That’s a guarantee. But take heart: I’ve overcome the world’. The reason we have trials, is because we live in a fallen world. There will be sickness and death. There will be financial issues, unknowns, and confusion. But Jesus reminds us that even in all of that, He’s defeated death and the sting of death.

4 songs to listen to: No Survivors, Again, Better, Through The Night

Score: 4.5/5

RIYL: Kutless, Big Daddy Weave, Building 429, Colton Dixon, The Afters, Sidewalk Prophets