Provident Label Group
Release Date: November 8th 2019
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Matt Maher– Alive & Breathing Vol. III (Single) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- Lord Of My Life
- Your Love Defends Me (Live)
- Here For You (Live)
One of today’s most creative and inventive worship leaders and singer/songwriters of the modern CCM era, Matt Maher, famous for his smash hit single “Your Grace Is Enough” (made popular by Chris Tomlin) and also writer of inspiring hits such as “Turn Around”, “Hold Us Together”, “Christ Is Risen”, “Because He Lives”, “What A Friend”, “Your Love Defends Me”, “Lord I Need You” and “All The People Said Amen”; is one of my favourite artists of the worship genre and of the past few years. ‘Why?’ I hear you asking? Wouldn’t it be Hillsong or Chris Tomlin or Bethel Music or Jesus Culture or even Phil Wickham- artists who have revolutionised worship music to a larger extent than Matt? Yes of course, these artists make my list (which is a list in my head!) but the reason why Matt’s on my list also even though he’s not that influential in compared to some of his contemporaries…is really simple. It’s partly due to Matt’s vulnerability and transparency (evident on his latest album Echoes) and also due to the relevance of his music on today’s society. Having released Echoes in 2017 (of which you guys can read my brother’s review right here!); as well as releasing a Christmas album in 2018 (The Advent Of Christmas); this year it the time for Matt to unveil to us something new. And embarking on a new and exciting project, Matt Maher is! A brand new single titled Alive And Breathing Vol. I released in September (which is strange as it’s basically an EP of 3 songs!)…and the 2nd instalment of this EP called Alive And Breathing Vol. 2 released a month later. Now, Matt is back with Alive And Breathing Vol. 3. The 3rd in 4 instalments (the last EP drops in January, followed by the full length album titled…you guessed it- Alive And Breathing!); let’s see how Matt has wowed us this time!
And…of course this EP is just as powerful and compelling as the other three! Matt pull out all of the stops and then some more- still abiding with the same format of 3 total songs, 1 brand new song, 1 live song and 1 live track of a song he wrote but hadn’t recorded yet. With Matt’s latest tracks being exquisite and very soothing, we are treated to vibrant and heartfelt renditions of “Your Love Defends Me” (previously on Echoes) and “Here For You” (previously recorded by Passion on Here For You in 2011)- and these tracks are top notch and comparable to the original recordings. Yet on this EP, Matt well and truly shines with the opener- the original track “Lord Of My Life”. Lyrically the song is near-flawless as Matt combines lyrically poetic and near-genius verses with a simple yet effective chorus to deliver a guaranteed smash hit and destined radio single. As Matt fervently asks God to ‘…be the song I sing, be my guiding light, savior of my soul, be the Lord of my life…’, we are reminded that even in the midst of trials and tribulations, Jesus stays the same and He is faithful despite our circumstances. Hence He still is the Lord of our lives, and especially in the difficult times, Matt’s song is an anthem for us to declare in the knowledge that He is with us and He can and will bring us peace and comfort. And with that, Matt has once again shown us why he is still relevant and why his music still resonates with all of us. And while we wait for the next full length album, let us eagerly wait for a total of 4 EP’s to enjoy- and this EP is a must for fans of Matt’s and of worship music in general.
Matt Maher is a household name in terms of worship music, and now that He has recorded a brief but stellar EP; these are indeed songs for those who want to feel closer to God, and a must listen if you want to find some inspirational and hopeful melodies that you can sing at all times! Well done Matt, can’t wait for your next full-length studio project and whatever else you have up your sleeve! Because if it’s as half as good as the Alive And Breathing EP’s, then we’re in for a treat!
Score: 4.5/5
RIYL: Matthew West, Jeremy Camp, Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Crowder, Tenth Avenue North