Capitol Christian Music Group
Release Date: October 4th 2024 / November 1st 2024 / January 31st 2025
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Tauren Wells– Take It All Back (feat. Skillet and Davies) / Making Room / Thank You For The Cross (Single) (Amazon mp3/iTunes) (Amazon mp3/iTunes) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- Take It All Back (feat. Skillet and Davies)
- Making Room
- Thank You For The Cross
One of the most powerful, inspiring, joyous, moving, honest, emotional, and vulnerable artists that I have heard recently… is CCM pop singer and songwriter Tauren Wells. Originally a founding member of Royal Tailor, Tauren penned and sung the hit songs “Hold Me Together”, “Make A Move”, “Freefall”, “Remain”, “Ready Set Go”, “Got That Fire”, “Original”, and “Jesus Love”; amongst others. Since the band split though, Tauren has been making waves as a solo artist, wowing us all with his pop sensibilities and his poignant, heartfelt lyrics. Songs like “Until Grace”, “Hills And Valleys”, “Citizen Of Heaven”, “Undefeated”, “Fake It”, “Miracle”, “When We Pray”, “Empty”, “God’s Not Done With You”, “Hold Us Together”, “Come Home”, and “Echo”, to name a few; have been giving us a sense of vulnerability and honesty; as Tauren pours his heart out and graciously peels back the layers of his own heart in order to get real with God. Tauren has been nominated for many Grammy Awards and Dove Awards, and while he has released four albums which we reviewed here, here, here and here; Tauren has since continued on his journey with Capitol Christian Music Group. In late 2022, he released his brand-new EP called Up, and in 2023 he has released Joy In The Morning – EP. But now… there’s something new. Tauren recently dropped a new recording of “Take It All Back”, this time with John Cooper of Skillet, while also releasing new singles “Making Room” and “Thank You For The Cross”.
Originally recorded with We The Kingdom and Davies, “Take It All Back” has been redone- this time with John Cooper’s rock voice to give the anthem a lot more depth, as the lyrical topic of reclaiming everything the devil stole from us is explored. “Making Room” is a heartfelt and emotive worship anthem with Tauren emphatically relaying to us that right now is the time to dwell in God’s presence and worship Him for who He is, as well as practically being the hands and feet of Jesus. While “Thank You For The Cross” is a fervent and inspiring prayer and Easter anthem, thanking Jesus Christ for the cross and for dying for our sins and rising from the grave, and declaring with certainty ‘…for the Father, for the Son, for the power of Your love, for the Spirit that’s in us, for the blood that overcomes, for Your life, for Your death, for the life hope that’s still ahead, we sing thank you, for the Cross…’.
Tauren Wells is an entertainer. He is a performer and a man with a heart for Jesus. He is a bonafide artist with a heart of gold and he is willing to proclaim the gospel to everyone he meets. Joy In The Morning may not have been the longest in terms of duration. But this deluxe edition more than makes up for it, and the album does have joy and it does bring us hope. That is probably all that we could ask for these days. We need an album to pick us up, and Tauren’s album is the one. It probably isn’t the album if you want theological correct doctrine. But since when do CCM artists need to be qualified in doctrinal issues? Yet if the upcoming new tracks “Making Room” and “Thank You For The Cross” are anything to go by, it seems that Tauren is just getting started. His songs undoubtedly bring a smile to our face, and makes us feel joy at God being in our midst- and that is certainly a good thing. Well done Tauren for a stellar set of songs! Bring on the next full length album this year or next year!
Score: 5/5
RIYL: Royal Tailor, Michael Jackson, Selena Gomez, TobyMac, Mandisa, Britt Nicole, Riley Clemmons, OneRepublic, Justin Timberlake