Matt Redman - The Friendship And The Fear

Reviewed by Tony Cummings

This review is well late - 'The Friendship And The Fear' has been the best selling Christian music album in Britain for weeks - but that won't stop your favourite mag from waxing lyrical. As the one review I've read of this talked about how Matt "moves away from an indie guitar sound to the slow burning jazz of several tracks and gentle guitar and keyboards of others", I can only assume the reviewer kept slipping out for coffee every time the frequent bursts of grunge guitar came ringing from his stereo and as for the burning jazz...well, there's a distinct R&B groove on "Deep Calls To Deep" and a fluid alto sax on "I Need To Get The Fire Back". The reason for the confused pigeon holing is that Malt's style is gloriously elusive, he sings stripped down ballads like "The Way Of The Cross" with his husky phrasing again recalling Martin Smith, catchy pop hook opuses like "Bowing Down" and launches into a turbulent rhythmic rocker like "Can We Walk Upon The Water". Themes of the songs are often about a hunger for holiness and "Pure Pure Heart",. "Show Me The Way Of The Cross" and the magnificent, moody worship ballad "Once Again" (currently the most played track on UCB Cross Rhythms) all convey that hunger with breathtaking vulnerability. Throughout the production for the album by studio veteran Andy Piercy is magnificent. Matt Redman and Delirious? are doing much more than taking the worship music mantle from the Kendrick and Bowater wrinklies. They are calling a whole generation to live in the expectation of imminent revival.