Mad Music Monday – Jimmy Needham: Not Without Love
It has been awhile since I had a chance to post a Mad Music Monday album review, but I have 3 or 4 new albums stacked up in my iPhone, so you can be expecting several music posts over the next few weeks. This week let take a look at Jimmy Needham’s newest project – Not Without Love. I will just start by saying I LOVE this album. It has been playing on my iPhone almost non-stop now for several weeks. I had heard some of Jimmy’s music in past, but never was persuaded enough to buy a full album. So I am pleased to say that my first investment in a full length Needham album was well worth it. In fact he has probably made it on my Full Album Purchase list from here on out. Not Without Love is a well-rounded examination of Love and it’s relationship to our lives. Jimmy has penned some very honest, inspiring, and challenging lyrics brought to life by his Jason Mraz like musical style.
I am hard pressed to pick a favorite song, because there is not one bad track on the whole album. The album kicks off with Come Around which examines what is needed to reach the lost and anchors in the albums central theme, Love. Next comes A Breath or Two and Hurricane. The former is a prayer for God to help us slow down and rest in His love, and the latter is the current radio cut which declares our need for God to turn our world’s upside down and serves almost as antithesis to the calm messsage of A Breath or Two. The fourth track, Firefly, is fun and peppy love song written presumably for Jimmy’s wife. Track five is Forgiven and Loved which speaks of our need and reliance on God’s love. Plus is uses the word holiday (meaning vacation) which is just cool. We should use that word more in the U.S.
Next comes Before and After, a mellow, lyrically thick, semi-worship song declaring the vastness of God’s love followed by Tossed by the Wind, a brisk 3/4 number that warns against the dangers of being sucked in by the world’s deception. Track 8 is Unfailing Love whose title is self-explanatory. The ninth track, Rend, is written from the Lord’s perspective, and pleads for us to surrender our broken lives to Him for healing. The ablum winds down with The Author and The Great Love Story. Both of these songs beautifully proclaim the majesty and gloriousness of God and His Love. Finally in classic Jimmy Needham style the album ends with a heart-moving benediction that gives the album it’s title, Not Without Love.
This album is a must buy. Next to the Tenth Avenue North album that I reviewed earlier this year, this is my favorite new album, and that is saying alot considering some of the other albums it is up against. You can pick up Not Without Love on www.independentbands.com for under $9 or on iTunes $10.
As always Buy don’t Burn!
–Wholly Surrender!