Planetshakers Ministries
Release Date: January 10th 2020
Reviewed by Joshua Andre
Planetshakers– Glory Pt 1 (Live) – EP (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- How I Praise
- Walls
- I Remember
- Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
- Overwhelmed
Another year, another Planetshakers release! Yep, you did hear that right, and no, your ears were not deceiving you. And yes, you can bang your head against the wall and scream out ‘why’- because, after all, wasn’t it just yesterday that the full-length albums Rain and Heaven On Earth released? I mean, what’s the rush? The Rapture isn’t tomorrow guys! Or is it? Maybe they know something we all don’t… Anyway in all seriousness, after last year overall lacklustre Rain and the year before’s mediocre at best Heaven On Earth; the Aussie worship movement has decided in its infinite wisdom…that it’s time for yet another new EP. Just under a month ago Glory Pt 1 dropped to all stores, and with this release clocking in at 31 minutes, we are met with a collective groan of exasperation.
Now I love the Aussie band, and they’ve had some good hits in the past. Plenty of songs from the early and mid 2000’s are tracks that I’d gladly listen to again and again, and still be blessed and inspired by them. So while you can read all of our reviews of Planetshakers’ albums here; at this point one definitely should be thinking and maybe saying aloud ‘enough is enough, time to bunker down, write ‘good’ music, and take 2-3 years to record an album’. I know, it’s a harsh statement, but I’m thinking that too. At this point, one would have to say that Planetshakers aren’t as relevant anymore, given the sheer volume of albums they release every year, like it’s water. For me I am at that stage where I’m thinking ‘another Planetshakers album- really?’. Even though there’s always a couple of songs that pique my interest and really grab my attention in a good way; it’s still perplexing that the band doesn’t just wait and release full length albums and are obsessed with the ‘EP’. Though these five songs in their own right are inspiring; I have found that repeated listens show that these songs aren’t as engaging as their counterparts from years ago- and I reckon that this will be the last Planetshakers release I’ll ever review. That is unless a massive shakeup and overhaul is undertaken quickly. Is this statement controversial?
From the EP opener “How I Praise”, a generic formulaic nondescript dance number that’s catchy but only soothes the ears for so long; you can tell that Joth Hunt and his crew aren’t as excited as previous years. are they phoning it in? It’s a bold statement to declare something like that because it may not be true- but evidence here of this track sounding like every other they’ve done in previous years, can’t be ignored nor denied. “Walls” is an equally generic dance number that doesn’t excite me at all, and there’s loads of repetition here- enough for this song to feel like a parody or something. “I Remember”, the longest song on the EP at just over 10 minutes, is a solid ballad led by Sam Evans, however musically this song sounds similar to the many, many, many, rousing ballads that Planetshakers have recorded over the years, Lyrically this song is solid, however as a track it’s easily forgettable amongst the sea of other ballads that are as equally compelling and impacting. “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” is a ballad along the same vein as “I Remember” (solid but unmemorable) while the EP ends with a spontaneous free worship session titled “Overwhelmed”.
It is saying something that I can talk about 5 songs (or only briefly mention them) in a short paragraph, which has me even wondering why I’m even writing this ‘review’ in the first place? Glory Pt 1 is forgettable if I had to describe it in one word, which even though some tracks are competent, there still needs to be improvement and work. These tracks are somewhat inspiring and hopeful and can be cried out and sung to Jesus during times of joy and hardship; but now I have confirmation that Planetshakers are definitely not as impacting or rousing or influential as artists like Passion, Jesus Culture, and Hillsong. Would I listen to this EP again? No, not in a long time- the run times are too long and there’s just something about this release that makes me feel uninspired. But maybe you’re one of the listeners who actually love the EP- and that’s cool more power to you. Whatever the case though, here’s hoping and praying that Planetshakers have many more new albums to come that will revolutionise the worship industry in the future! That’s a good prayer to pray, don’t you reckon? Otherwise I may have listened to my last ‘new’ Planetshakers release.
3 songs to listen to: Walls, I Remember, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
Score: 2/5
RIYL: Desperation Band, Hillsong Worship, UNITED, Passion, Vertical Worship