Aodhán King “Beyond Us” Album Review
Prime Cuts: Thank You So Much Jesus; Time (with Lauren Daigle); What Would It Be Like? (with Hannah Hobbs)
Overall Grade: 3/5
Aodhán King is no novice to the worship scene. He is a founding member of the twice Grammy-nominated band Hillsong Young & Free (Y&F). The group's accomplishments are staggering: with over 1.2 billion streams in North America alone, eight #1 singles, and ten Top 10 singles on Hot AC radio. They have also produced five Top 100 CCLI songs, including "Sinking Deep," "Real Love," and "Alive." Y&F has performed at over 225 live events across the United States, Canada, Australia, Asia, New Zealand, Central America, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
However, with the upheavals at Hillsong Church, starting with scandals involving Carl Lentz and Brian Houston, the church's worship ministry has disintegrated. This has led former leaders like Brooke Ligertwood, Hannah Hobbs, Benjamin Williams Hasting, Ben Fielding, and Reuben Morgan to pursue solo music careers. King is no exception. While he was in career limbo, these 13 songs were birthed. Despite continuing to work with Y&F's Ben Tan and industry scribe Jason Ingram, "Beyond Us" differs from Y&F's output.
For starters, all 13 offerings are decelerated-paced ballads. Fans who are looking for a reprise of high-techno, like "Phenomena (DA-DA)" or "This is Living," will be disappointed. "Beyond Us" features little or no teeny-bob, arguably understandable considering King's turmoil. The best track here is the lead single, "Thank You So Much Jesus," a no-nonsense worship piece executed with palpable sincerity. "What Would It Be Like?" features former colleague Hannah Hobbs and some delightful folkish guitar strums as King wonders about the joy of meeting Jesus face-to-face.
The cinematic Cold Play-esque album opener "Prepare the Way" is not a lousy invitation to worship. Meanwhile, the atmospheric "Made for Worship" is perhaps the most congregational offering here. Also not to be missed is the Laura Daigle-assisted "Time." Featuring a dreamy melody with lots of floating falsettos, "Time" speaks of God's sovereign timing. The rest of the tracks are average ballads, which is also the album's disappointment. One would have hoped King would have brought more energy and variety into a genre now saturated by ballads.
Tags : Aodhán King “Beyond Us” Album Review Aodhán King hillsong y & f Hillsong Young & Free
Hot Trends
-
Here Are the Lyrics to Transformation Worship's "Yahweh"
-
Here's How You Can Watch The Nelons’ Celebration Of Life
-
Here Are Lyrics to Keith and Kristyn Getty's "How Great Is the Greatness of God"
-
The Tragic End of Kingdom Heir's Founder Steve French
-
Uche Agu & Revival Today Worship Drop “That’s Why We Worship;” Announce Full Length Album
-
FREE MUSIC: Matt Redman's "The Praise Is Yours"
-
INTERVIEW: Joth Hunt of the Worship Band PLANETSHAKERS Shares on New Live Album/DVD ENDLESS PRAISE and 2014 Touring Plans
-
Celebrating Valentine's Day: Story Behind Steve Curtis Chapman's "I Will Be Here"
-
Here Are Lyrics to TAYA's "Gonna Be Good"
-
Gotee Records Signs Sanctus Real's Founding Member Matt Hammitt
-
Christy Nockels “Captivate Us (Live from Keeper’s Branch)” Album Review
-
David Jeremiah Calls on Christians in the Crucial Hours Ahead
-
Devotional Message: Stevie Wonder Was Right About Superstition
-
Here Are Lyrics to Darlene Zschech's "Yes Again"
-
Soul Ties Conference Nashville Helps Christians Overcome Trauma & Toxic Relationships
Most Popular
-
Here Are the Lyrics to Transformation Worship's "Yahweh"
-
Here's How You Can Watch The Nelons’ Celebration Of Life
-
Here Are Lyrics to Keith and Kristyn Getty's "How Great Is the Greatness of God"
-
The Tragic End of Kingdom Heir's Founder Steve French
-
Uche Agu & Revival Today Worship Drop “That’s Why We Worship;” Announce Full Length Album
-
FREE MUSIC: Matt Redman's "The Praise Is Yours"
-
INTERVIEW: Joth Hunt of the Worship Band PLANETSHAKERS Shares on New Live Album/DVD ENDLESS PRAISE and 2014 Touring Plans
-
Celebrating Valentine's Day: Story Behind Steve Curtis Chapman's "I Will Be Here"
-
Here Are Lyrics to TAYA's "Gonna Be Good"
-
Gotee Records Signs Sanctus Real's Founding Member Matt Hammitt
-
Christy Nockels “Captivate Us (Live from Keeper’s Branch)” Album Review
-
David Jeremiah Calls on Christians in the Crucial Hours Ahead
-
Devotional Message: Stevie Wonder Was Right About Superstition
-
Here Are Lyrics to Darlene Zschech's "Yes Again"
-
Soul Ties Conference Nashville Helps Christians Overcome Trauma & Toxic Relationships