Independent
Release Date: December 8th 2023
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Selah– At This Table (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- At This Table
- Away In A Manger (Sweet Melody)
- O Come All Ye Faithful (Adore Him)
- Mary Had A Little Lamb
- Joy To The World / Sweet Little Baby Boy
- The Night That Love Was Born
- It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
- Amen / Go Tell It On The Mountain
- Good Christian Men Rejoice (Born To Reign)
- The First Noel
Having recorded and released a plethora of stirring and inspiring albums since their inception in 1999, vocal trio Selah (comprised of Todd Smith, Amy Perry and Allan Hall) have displayed to us and unveiled many heartfelt melodies and soft piano pieces with the intention of ushering us into communion with Jesus. Songs like “I Look To You”, “You Raise Me Up”, “All My Praise”, “Bless The Broken Road” (originally by country trio Rascal Flatts), “I Turn To You”, “You Deliver Me”, “I Will Sing Of My Redeemer”, “Wonderful, Merciful Saviour”, “Unbreakable”, “I Got Saved”, and “Hope Of The Broken World” all captivate and inspire us, giving us reason to praise God and celebrate our freedom in Him. And with Allan, Todd and Amy each singing eloquently, powerfully and beautifully, and delivering praises to Jesus, as well as bringing to the fore words of encouragement and impact; it’s no wonder each of these three vocalists have recorded solo albums- each resonating with me deeply! We’ve reviewed each of their solo albums here, here and here!
Already having released their first hymns album Greatest Hymns in 2005 and Greatest Hymns Vol. 2 in 2016, it’s clear that the recently independent trio have become somewhat an expert at covering hymns, also particularly since previous albums such as Unbreakable, You Amaze Us, Hope Of The Broken World, You Deliver Me, Bless The Broken Road and Hiding Place each contained a fair chunk of reworked hymns in their track lists as well. For the group’s 2019 studio album Firm Foundation; these guys switched it up- the trio’s all new full length studio album contained emphatic and powerful originals as worship anthems, instead of any hymns at all. It’s a tad out of the norm to hear the absence of a single hymn here, however Todd, Allan, and Amy once again wowed us and showed us their brilliant vocal melodies and harmonies, and I was once again swept away in wonder and awe, as the Holy Spirit’s presence is evident on every track of this unique worship experience. We reviewed Firm Foundation here, so take a read! Just over a year later, the group unveiled a new album. Step Into My Story is a return to what these guys are known for. Released independently through their own label 3Cre8tive, the 10 track part hymn, part worship project, is a little bit foreign to me (as there are indeed obscure hymns here!); but Selah still introduced us to new original favourites, and heartfelt classics, and continue to make their mark on what I reckon is a niche yet powerful and poignant collection of songs. It’s been a while since that last Christmas album from these guys (Rose Of Bethlehem, released in 2002, was re-released in 2016 with newly recorded tracks); and so as we’re still in the Christmas spirit this year (only for another week or so!), let’s dive deep into At This Table.
The new holiday album from Selah, comprising of 10 tracks and inclusive of reimagined carols and as always obscure melodies and originals; is a holiday album that isn’t the norm of what you would normally listen to during the holidays, but it still packs a punch and is a must for any Selah enthusiast. For me though, this album is incredibly sound technically and objectively. But I just can’t find myself connecting with many of these tracks, no matter how impressive they sound. The title track, an Idina Menzel cover, is brilliantly sung by Amy Perry, but knowing Idina is Jewish and this song is probably meant to be an inclusive melody accepting of LGBTQIA+ culture in the church, kind of dampens the Christmas message a bit, and the message of Jesus welcoming people to His table but still not affirming of lifestyle that goes against his word. Don’t get me wrong, the song is great. Perhaps I’m reading too much into it. But I feel for me that it’s a song that has so much ‘baggage’ or something like that- that I reckon Selah didn’t need to record their version of this song, you know what I mean? With carols galore here, Selah deliver to us “The First Noel”, “O Come All Ye Faithful”, “Away In A Manger”, “Joy To The World”, “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” and “Go Tell It On the Mountain”. Each of these melodies have a different musical arrangement and in some cases, a different melody. It’s almost like Selah decided to deliver new renditions of these carols, and though it might take a while to fully grasp the meaning and feeling behind these songs, we can still see that there is a place for these reimagined carols within the Christmas musical landscape today. One standout however is the medley of “Go Tell It On The Mountain” with Carman’s “Amen”, which brought back incredible nostalgia; while “Away In A Manger” is changed beyond recognition, and is a welcome version as well.
“Mary Had A Little Lamb” (not a nursery rhyme!), is a cover of country duo Rod + Rose’s original Christmas melody, with the country duo reiterating that When Rodney first came in with this song idea, he said, ‘I have a title. I’ve been saving it for quite some time.’ He had actually been saving it for years. He said, ‘It’s ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb.’ I hesitantly said, ‘Alright,’ and I kinda laughed. But then he explained the idea and how it was about the birth of Christ. I was just totally blown away by it and loved it. It’s a challenge to write a simple song that has that lullaby thing about it, yet it’s about the single most important thing that has ever happened. We just wanted to write a song that we could sing to our 2- and 3-year-old. We wanted to write something they could get and enjoy and want to sing with us and celebrate the birth of our Savior. It’s a simple yet powerful melody about the birth of Jesus and the reason for the season; while the totally obscure “Good Christian Men Rejoice” is totally skippable however, as though it’s hard-hitting musically, the lyrics are cheesy to the nth degree, and I prefer “Children Go Where I Send Thee” much more, which seems to tell the same story in a much more accessible way to people of many different walks of life. “The Night That Love Was Born”, the final track, speaks about the most magical night when Jesus was born, but as far as unique original Christmas songs go, well, this isn’t really unique and I reckon it’s just ho-hum and middle of the road, with a similar theme to Brandon Heath’s “The Night Before Christmas”.
With their impressive vocal range and incredibly tight harmonies, Selah seem to be more than filling part of the void left by Avalon, another vocal group who had been absent from recording for a while. What Selah add to the CCM market, is soothing and beautiful harmonies and melodies, as each of the three vocalists Todd Smith, Allan Hall and Amy Perry sing to perfection, and deliver us some of the most popular and respected hymns and covers, as well as giving us originals sure to stand the test of time as well. Though the predominantly piano led and focused ballad heavy carol based album may not be to everyone’s tastes, as some may prefer rock music; At This Table is overall well worth at least a listen, even if some songs don’t grab at you instantly- you may find yourself surprised at how much you enjoy the album, as you sing along with Selah praises to God, singing along with the Christmas hymns that make Selah, well you know, Selah! Well done guys, this project is enjoyable even though my own indifference of some of the songs. Even though this ‘mishap’, I can’t wait until your next album, which will be awesome!
3 songs to listen to: Away In A Manger (Sweet Melody), Mary Had A Little Lamb, Amen / Go Tell It On The Mountain
Score: 3.5/5
RIYL: Avalon, FFH, Love & The Outcome, Sidewalk Prophets, Mandisa, Lincoln Brewster