Black River Christian

Release Date: April 2^nd 2021

Reviewed by: Jonathan Andre

Matty Mullins – Show You the Cross (Single) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)

Track Listing:

1. Show You The Cross

Easter 2020 looked like no other, for the obvious reasons of COVID-19. Families were ripped apart. People were social-distancing, and the world was changing at a rapid rate, and even now in 2021, the world is still reeling from the effects of this virus that I believe will never really go away. Unfortunately, COVID-19 and how we deal with this, will be here to stay. Having said that, if you can say that there’s one bright thing to have come out of this COVID season, it’s this- music, the reawakening of music in people’s lives, the appreciation of music, even rediscovering music as an enjoyable moment for people during their times of reflection and contemplation. Music we all know, is something that has been there for people during such a chaotic and tumultuous time for people, and it was nothing different for me, as well. Standing in April 2021, I can safely say that I’ve grown a lot in my appreciation of the variety of music I listen to, as well as being more respectful of CCM too- the ‘genre’ of music I grew up with. And as I reflect upon how another year has past since Easter 2020 when we as a world realised that life would never really be the same as it once was; Easter 2021, unfortunately for much of the world, hasn’t really looked that much different than Easter 2020. Sure, we here in Australia can feel ‘lucky’ compared to the rest of the world, the fact of the matter remains, is that COVID-19 is here to stay, and no country, no matter how ‘safe’ it can seem to be, is out of the woods just yet. Nevertheless, we can still enjoy great music in the meantime, and a fitting song being released in Easter 2021, that has the potential to be a chart-topping radio single, and a song that has impetus to pierce people’s hearts in the upcoming weeks and months ahead, is the new song ‘Show You The Cross’, from hard-rocker turned CCM artist, Matty Mullins.

This is not a history lesson on Matty Mullins– you can read about his music on google or Wikipedia. What this is though, is a reflective statement about his new song, and how for me, it’s one of my favourite Easter-themed songs I’ve heard in quite some time. With light acoustics and a strong keyboard presence, we see Matty invite us into what he sees when he looks at the cross, and what we ought to believe about it and about Jesus who died upon it, during such a season as Easter, and especially Easter 2021. Without the resurrection of Christ, then Christianity and what we believe to be the truth, is futile, and we as Christians, ought to be the most pitied out of everyone. Nevertheless, this is what we believe, that Christ came to live the life we couldn’t live, died the death we should’ve died, and rose to life, defeating death and the grave. Not because of what we’ve done, but because of who He is, is why I believe Easter and Christmas, and Christianity itself, is important, necessary, and revolutionary for anyone who really delves in to understand the sacrifice God gave, so that we can be reconciled back to Himself. It is in this realisation that I can firmly enjoy this song; and be reminded of the gravity and weight of such a season as this. A song that for me, will continue to be on my iTunes playlist for quite some time ahead; Matty’s new song, most likely foreshadowing a new EP or album sometime later on during the year, is a joy to listen to, and a way to connect on a deeper level to Christ, especially during a time where we need connection, between us and our Heavenly Father, and between each other, all the more. Well done Matty for this track, looking forward to whatever comes next, EP, album, another single, or something else!

‘…the thing about this project [Show You the Cross] that I feel really fortunate about is that I’m not a starving artist. A lot of people, especially when it comes to a music career, have one make-it-or-break-it / do-or-die mentality. The ‘I love this song and message, but I need it to go to #1, so I can feed my family’ idea. I’ve been blessed to have a music career outside of this project, with the band I’m in for the last fifteen years, and that really frees me up mentally and spiritually to be 100% focused on what I want for the projects – which is to bless people. Christian radio has always been foundational in my life. I’ll go out and play heavy metal, travel all over the world, and I always come back to Christian radio and the message that it brings – the constant reminder that God is there with us, and wants what is best for us. For me, with this project, success is being able to, having been blessed by Christian radio my whole life, take a song and give it to Christian radio and the listeners, in the hopes that they will be blessed in the same way that I have been. So if it’s one person that hears the song while they’re driving down the road and it impacts their life, or if it’s one million people, it’s all the same to me. The success of this project is the voice of God being heard through this song…’

Score: 4.5/5

RIYL: David Dunn, Jordan Feliz, Bellarive, Sean Curran, An Epic No Less, Hawk Nelson, Owl City