Rend Family Records / Capitol CMG

Release Date: June 28^th 2019

Reviewed by: Jonathan Andre

Rend Collective – Your Name is Power (Single) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)

Track Listing:

1. Your Name is Power

Rend Collective. Formally called ‘Rend Collective Experiment’. Quite possibly one of the biggest groups out of Britain (alongside the now dis-banded Delirious?) to immerse themselves within the Christian music industry within the last ten years or so. One of my favourite bands/artists to come out of the U.K./Ireland area, alongside Tim Hughes, Matt Redman, Philippa Hanna and the now disbanded Delirious?. Originally signed to worship music label Integrity Music before making the jump to Capitol CMG and thus releasing the chart-topping more radio-friendly 2015 album As Family We Go (which featured the radio singles ‘You Will Never Run’, ‘One and Only’, ‘Every Giant Will Fall’ and ‘Joy of the Lord’), Rend Collective have managed to fuse together two things and do both of them well- present to us great worship music, while also pushing boundaries and creating good acoustic/folk/alternative music worthy enough of having repeat value, with their craft on a higher plane than sadly most of the modern worship music available at our fingertips at the moment. Not to discount the valid passion present in much of today’s CCM/worship communi,ty, it’s just that when a band/artist comes along that presents to us something different (and it’s a different that is great), we all ought to sit up and take notice. And Rend Collective is one such band.

Now 2 albums into their career on Capitol CMG, and a chart-topping hit in ‘Counting Every Blessing’, this Belfast band continue to stretch musical boundaries to be on the same musical ingenuity plane as other artists and bands like Delirious?, Leeland, All Sons and Daughters, The City Harmonic and Crowder, to name a few. These 5 band members out of Bangor, Northern Ireland, have always been honest and earnest with their songs. And while they are currently on Capitol CMG, it was their former years at Integrity Music that solidified them as one of today’s most heartfelt worship groups, able to bring to us songs full of heart and hope, pain and suffering, yet equal moments of reverence and awe, encapsulated nicely in an Integrity Music album called ‘Mixtape’, a project that was, though redundant in every way because of Spotify, a nevertheless must-have for anyone who hasn’t heard much of Rend Collective before and want to start on a project that encapsulates the best of Rend Collective’s earlier years! Fast forward to 2019, and on the heels of Good News-what I reckon is one of my favourite albums by the band ever; ‘Your Name is Power’ is showcased to us, a song full of life and vitality, one that I’m sure will be impacting millions around the world in the upcoming months ahead.

The song itself? ‘Your Name is Power’ is a track of hope and enthusiasm, one of comfort and strength. As the band have divulged to us in a recent instragram post, ‘…we may not know exactly what you’re going through right now, what you’re celebrating, what you’re mourning, what has been keeping you up at night, or what feels like too much. But we know who the answer is to all your heart’s questions. In this season Jesus might be your Provider, your Strength or your Comforter. For us this year, his name has not only been Power, but also the one who sees our hearts when no one else does…’ It is as comfort to know that Jesus is close, never judging, and always wanting and longing for us to give whatever is on our hearts to Him, be it something we may think is shameful, or even something we believe in that moment, that He can’t handle for whatever reason. Because He can- handle our burdens. His name alone is powerful, and the beauty, I’m sure, that He can make out of our suffering and uncertainty, is more than reason enough to keep trusting during the difficult times. A song that can give us the slightest of hopes in the darkest of circumstances, Rend Collective have always been a source of worship music over the years, and hopefully, as we all listen, we can admire the band for their tenacity and their longevity in a music, dare I say, business; where artists come and go at the drop of a hat. Well done to the band for such a joyous and declaratory single, maybe a late bolter for WOW Hits 2020? Nevertheless, below is an excerpt from the band from another Instagram post about the song itself, and what they would like people to hear when enjoying a song like this. So let us read this below, and be encouraged of the powerful name that Jesus gives us, that in His name, we can do as great, or even greater, things than He. Well done Rend Collective for the song, can’t wait to the full length album, whenever that arises!

FINALLY. First new music of the year and we’re so grateful to get to share it with you, our wee internet family! This song was borne out of a need to remind ourselves of who is in control. As many of you may already know, Northern Ireland and the U.K. are going through a lot of political transitions that pose questions about the future that at times can feel overwhelming. But we know it’s not just the U.K. that is in a season of chaos and unknown— everywhere we turn seemingly there are issues. Some of them global, like the crisis in Sudan, or the protests in Hong Kong. Others are more private and no less overwhelming, loss of a family member, or job, seasons of doubt and confusion. But here’s the thing friends, we have hope. There is an answer to the darkness, this IS hope among the chaos. His name is Jesus. His name scatters darkness, His name brings the dead back to life, and it’s at His name that every knee will bow and tongue confess Jesus is Lord. There is power in the name of Jesus for his people to claim— that means you and I. Power to strengthen and encourage us. Power that only comes from Him. We hope this song encourages you to speak the power of His name over your circumstances WHATEVER they may be!

Score: 4.5/5

RIYL: Crowder, Passion, Tim Hughes, All Sons and Daughters