Michael Morrow is one of the more recent songwriters to join the EMU team. Lift Up Your Heads is his first solo album of congregational songs, produced in partnership with his wife, Julie.
It is a strong debut that includes re-arrangements of some previous material, but many new songs as well.
I was very impressed with the song craft on this album, especially the lyrics. Evangelical lyricists sometimes focus on doctrine at the expense of rhythm and artistry in the words themselves. But Michael has clearly spent many hours polishing the lyrics and they show he has a real poetic ear as well as a solid theology.
Consider the simplicity and power of the opening lines from ‘Now and Evermore’:
“In a while we will be forevermore
We will be like Jesus our Lord
Drown the sun in his eyes, need nothing more
He is our light, Jesus our Lord”
Happily, Michael is just as fine a tunesmith as a wordsmith. His melodies are simple and singable, but fresh enough to avoid dullness and cliché. ‘We Belong to the Day’ is a stand-out tune, and it is no surprise that it has been included on two previous collections.
Production values are solid and most of the songs fall pretty much into the generic “Christian Contemporary” style. This makes commercial sense, but I wish they had pushed the boundaries a little more. "The King Has Walked Among Us' showed some production flair and it was the stronger for it.
Julie does a fine job with the vocals, though I felt more use should have been made of backing vocals. Her best track was a version of "Alas, and did my Saviour Bleed?'. This seemed to sit right in her range and she sang it with real conviction. A very nice strings arrangement underneath too.
My favourite track was "Now and Evermore' " a gorgeous melody and profound lyrics, together with a simple and wonderful hook in the bridge. It’s the sort of song you will listen to over and over again, simply lovely.
This is a very impressive debut, including many fine songs that will work well in your church. And the CD is worth getting for it’s own sake too. I’ve listened to it six or seven times now. I recommend you check this album out and I hope it is the first of many from Michael and Julie.
