Gather Worship “Hear the World That You So Love Sing Back to You” Album Review

Prime Cuts: Revival Generation, The Image, Make Us One (John 17)

Overall Grade: 4.5/5

Gather Worship's debut album for Integrity Music, "Hear the World That You So Love Sing Back to You," is a mammoth project. Featuring 20 worship leaders from 10 countries, the record features Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Jason Ingram, Jenn Jonson, Chris Tomlin, Sinach, ELEVATION RHYTHM, Martin Smith, Matt Redman, and others. The album is made in anticipation of Gather25, an event initiated by Founder and Visionary Jennie Allen, set to bring together the world's 2.5 billion Christians for 25 hours of prayer, worship, repentance, and commission. The record features seven new songs, followed by four songs in Mandarin, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese, and Swahili, offering a glimpse into the heart of the global Church.

The album opener, "Revival Generation," featuring Josh Aaron and Lindy Cofer, is a power ballad with an anthemic chorus. This song calls forth God's people to be the revival generation. Co-written by stalwarts such as Matt Redman, Ben Fielding, Jason Ingram, Brett Younker, and Ethan Hulse, "Revival Generation" has a "must-sing-in-church" label printed all over it. Often associated with electronic worship, ELEVATION RHYTHM surprises with the understated and subdued "No Not One." The simple plucked guitar strings that opened the song before slowly being joined by the voices of the East African choir Pambio, "No Not One," is a thrill to listen to. 

The album's high point is "The Image." Don't let the innocuous title mislead you; the song is a gorgeous love song depicting how Christ's love changes us. The slow but theological exposition of the message of the cross is utterly exquisite. Matt Redman's full-throttle powerhouse delivery is spot on, too. Chris Tomlin's classic "Our God Reigns" is revived and re-imagined as a duet between Sinach and Martin Smith. Tomlin returns; this time, he sings lead with Matt Maher on "Make Us One (John 17)." "Make Us One (John 17)" is a tuneful pop-centric bearing all the marks of a Tomlin-future classic.

Gabriela Rocha and Bethel's Jenn Johnson offer an elongated reading of a medley of "Alpha and Omega" and "Amen (Total Praise)." The intention to make this medley an extended worship time is admirable, but the songs are dragged far too long, making the listening experience tedious. Tasha Cobbs Leonard sings "Spirit and the Bride" with immense verve, bringing us to the heaven with a danceable bliss. With such a long list of worship leaders and songwriters involved, it is hard to go wrong with "Hear the World That You So Love Sing Back to You." However, with only seven new English-language songs, the album is meager.  

Tags : Gather Worship Gather Worship “Hear the World That You So Love Sing Back to You” Album Review Integrity Music Matt Redman Lindy Cofer Martin Smith ELEVATION RHYTHM tasha cobbs leonard Jenn Jonson sinach Chris Tomlin