Hatch Music
Release Date: June 9th 2023
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Josh Wilson– Reimagined: Vol. 1 EP / Unplugged: Vol. 1 EP (Amazon mp3/iTunes) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- That Was Then, This Is Now (Reimagined)
- I Refuse (Reimagined)
- How To Fall (feat. Becca Wilson) (Reimagined)
- Carry Me (Reimagined)
- Before The Morning (Reimagined)
- That Was Then, This Is Now (Unplugged)
- I Refuse (Unplugged)
- How To Fall (Unplugged)
- Carry Me (Unplugged)
- Before The Morning (Unplugged)
What makes a memorable, compelling, inspirational, powerful, and thought-provoking artist? What makes a moving, hopeful, and engaging song? Some artists are timeless, and are deserving of being named in a most influential of all-time list- yet for the many still somewhat deserving artists who do miss out… where do their songs and melodies rank? In my opinion one of the most inspiring and hopeful artists of this generation is Josh Wilson. While we won’t be blogging about him in our Momentous Mondays series… what I will say instead is this. That the multi-instrumentalist famous for his live looping, has delivered some of the most impressive and heart-warming songs I’ve heard of late. From “3 Minute Song”, “Saviour Please”, “Undeniable”, “Before The Morning”, “I Refuse”, “They Just Believe”, “Fall Apart” and “Carry Me” to “Pushing Back The Dark”, “Ok”, “Borrow (1 Day At A Time)”, “That Was Then, This Is Now”, “Dream Small”, “No More”, “Remember” and “Revolutionary”; we have been blessed to hear God speak through a storyteller, a quiet achiever- as we learn eternal biblical truths and learn more about God’s unending goodness and love. With almost every track being relatable, relevant, and enjoyable, this is the case as well with Josh’s latest EP’s Reimagined Vol. 1 and Unplugged Vol. 1.
It seems that everyone is going the route of Taylor Swift- re-recording and/or remastering their old material, whether because they don’t own the masters and now- they do, or just because. Bryan Adams, Danni Minogue, Girls Aloud, Rick Astley, Switchfoot, Lonestar, Norah Jones, and Savage Garden are just a few of the many artists recently to ‘jump on the bandwagon or re-recording past hits’; and now here we are with Josh Wilson reinventing 5 of his biggest singles into acoustic versions and re-recorded full band versions. “That Was then This Is Now”, “I Refuse”, “Carry Me”, “How To Fall”, and “Before The Morning” are five of his most inspiring and encouraging hits- and it’s interesting to hear Josh’s take on these songs many years later, and sung in a different light.
There’s not much to say about these songs- because these renditions are incredible in their own right. These 5 have been heard before and if you’re a Josh Wilson fan like I am, you’ll be singing along to the words of all of these versions. But what I will say is this- even after all of these years, Josh’s music still captures my attention and still speaks to my soul. Whether he is singing with just his acoustic guitar or along with some electronic beats and synth, Josh Wilson is an artist we will all remember for a long, long time. And so as we wait for volume 2 of both Reimagined and Unplugged, or maybe a brand new album; let’s praise Josh for his efforts. This multi-instrumentalist has succeeded every expectation that I have- well done Josh for this powerful collection of redone and acoustic songs, and I can’t wait to hear what God has next for you!
3 songs to listen to: That Was Then, This Is Now (Reimagined), Before The Morning (Reimagined), Carry Me (Unplugged)
Score: 5/5
RIYL: Brandon Heath, Steven Curtis Chapman, Tenth Avenue North, Big Daddy Weave
Man, I just want to say thank you so much for your kind words over the years. It really does mean a lot that you’re paying attention to what I’m doing, even all these years later. Hope you’re doing well! -Josh Wilson