Integrity Music
Release Date: November 20th 2020
Reviewed by: Jonathan Andre
Matt Redman – Let There Be Wonder (Acoustic) – EP (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- Let There Be Wonder (Intro Acoustic Version)
- We Praise You (Acoustic Version)
- All Praise (Acoustic)
- Upon Him (Acoustic Edit)
- Jesus Your Name (Acoustic)
- Blessed Be Your Name (Acoustic)
I have always admired the tenacity of which Matt Redman delivers his music over the years. Such emotion and power that I’ve seen over the years with his music, that I have come to respect and admire one of today’s most influential worship leaders of both today and yesterday, as songs like ‘Blessed Be Your Name’, ‘Once Again’, ‘Dancing Generation’, ‘Holy Moment’, ‘Let My Words Be Few’, ‘The Father’s Song’, ‘The Heart of Worship’ and ‘Undignified’, to name a few; have all shaped the worship music landscape into what it currently is today. While Matt may not be as popular now in the worship music industry (leave that to global worship movements like Bethel Music and Jesus Culture to be popular now), he still keeps chugging along, releasing albums every few years apart. Here we are now in 2021, and what has resulted in the last couple of years, are albums, singles and songs that have rejuvenated his worship career and has created songs for the church in their own personal and corporate worship sessions around the world, on every Sunday morning service in recent memory. In 2019, Matt unveiled to us arguably one of his very best, in ‘Always Grace’- the song being the exclusive theme song of the forthcoming faith-based movie PALAU, based upon the life and ministry of evangelist Luis Palau. Shortly followed by the single ‘The Same Jesus’ (of which I reviewed the song here), and his 2020 album Let There Be Wonder (of which my brother Josh reviewed here), we stand here at the beginning of 2021, and Matt has once again unveiled another offering of music- this time an acoustic EP titled…Let There Be Wonder (Acoustic), comprising of songs of his standout songs from the 2020 song collection, alongside arguably his most famous song ever, ‘Blessed Be Your Name’, all undertaken in acoustical format.
This is not really a ‘review’ of the songs in a sense- if that’s what you’re looking for, check out my brother’s review of the full-length studio album, or even my review of the first single, but what I will say is this- I thoroughly enjoyed this EP, and most certainly prefer the acoustic versions of these songs to the originals. There’s just something about an acoustic guitar (or piano), and the vocals, with a song where all you have is your voice, and limited instruments to hide behind- because that is when the heart and enthusiasm for the song either shines through, or it doesn’t. One of my favourite artists who has a good knack for delivering great acoustic material is Phil Wickham, and after hearing this album from Matt, I’m to add Matt Redman to the list as well. Songs like the current radio single ‘All Praise’, up-and-coming ‘Upon Him’, the Bethel hit ‘We Praise You’, and the ever reliable ‘Blessed Be Your Name’ are all present here on this acoustic EP, and all remind us of how talented Matt himself really is. And even though I myself haven’t been across much of Matt’s albums ever since Your Grace Finds Me way back in 2013 (Glory Song and Unbroken Praise are basically foreign albums to me, I may listen to them in full, a little later on during the year); what I will say is this- Matt’s tenacity and spirit to continue to deliver sound biblical songs of hope and encouragement is something of a great trait at a lot of worship leaders should have in abundance. Is he the most popular worship artist right now? Probably not. Not even Chris Tomlin is, I reckon. But all that aside, Matt’s new album is one that can be enjoyed if you’ve loved previous Matt Redman albums previously; and can enjoy a stripped-back EP with just vocals, guitar and piano. An album that continues to remind us all of the simplicity of worship as it should be, Matt’s new EP ought to be a precursor to whatever is in store for him in the upcoming months and years ahead. Well done Matt for such a powerful acoustic EP, now off to listen to Unbroken Praise and Glory Song in its entirety!
3 songs to listen to: Blessed Be Your Name, We Praise You, All Praise
Score: 4.5/5
RIYL: Crowder, Christy Nockels, Tim Hughes, Martin Smith