Jon Abel’s “Back to You”: A Review
Nutshell Version:
I’m not exactly sure what to make of Jon Abel’s most recent album, Back to You (independent, 2007). On the one hand, its great worship music and I wouldn’t mind singing some his songs during Sunday worship or on the drive to work. On the other hand, there’s really not much that makes me sit up and take notice. Having penned such songs as ‘Awesome is the Lord Most High,’ Abel has clearly had some considerable influence in the world of worship music. Back to You is a good album. I just imagine it might be a great album if it were a live experience.
Long Version:
I’m not exactly sure what to make of Jon Abel’s most recent album, Back to You (independent, 2007). On the one hand, its great worship music and I wouldn’t mind singing some his songs during Sunday worship or on the drive to work. On the other hand, there’s really not much that makes me sit up and take notice. This might be the most difficult thing about attempting to review the “worship” genre. While it should be excellent musically, it is not necessarily meant to be novel in its approach. It is meant to call us back to the cross of Christ, to a place of simplicity, away from the hustle and bustle that is everyday life. Back to You accomplishes this.
Many of you might not have heard of Jon Abel, but you have most likely heard his music already. Abel penned ‘Awesome is the Lord Most High’ which appears on the Passion albums Everything Glorious and See The Morning, sung by Chris Tomlin. It also appears on Abel’s album. So, it is clear that Abel has had some considerable influence in the world of worship music and runs in pretty prominent circles as a singer-songwriter.
‘Running After Me’ starts off the album. It’s more of a performance piece than anything else, speaking of God’s pursuit of us through thick and thin.
Following close behind is the song ‘There is None Like You (Sovereign Lord).’ This song was pretty bothersome, to be honest. Its not that it is heretical or anything. It’s just hokey and has been done over and over and over again. Even the title of the song has been used several times over. This may be Abel’s rendition of it, but it really didn’t grab me or make me want to join in the song.
However, Abel is superb as he moves into the songs ‘Crying Out to You,’ ‘Revelation Song,’ and ‘Amazed.’ Again, the lyrics aren’t anything particularly stirring. They’re pretty straight-forward as far as worship music goes. The power of these songs lies in their delivery. Here, Abel is outstanding. ‘Amazed’ is the strongest of the three and would be a welcome addition to any worship set.
You are so true to us/You are so true/Three in one living/Just and forgiving/You are so true
The light of the world so brilliant/We fall to our knees to listen/You came to bridge the distance/We are still amazed
The back half of the album is as listenable as the first half, but it will feel like you have heard a great deal of it already. This is a difficult thing to admit, as this is where ‘Awesome is the Lord Most High’ is situated. As Tomlin has already popularized this song, it feels like Abel is performing a cover of someone else’s material, rather than his own. This might speak to the weight of worship music transcending the musician/psalmist and becoming the possession of the whole church community, however.
Abel finishes the album with ‘Unfailing Love’ which continues the theme established at the outset of the album. If ‘Running After Me’ speaks of God’s pursuit, ‘Unfailing Love’ explains why he pursues us.
Back to You has some good tracks and it has some bad tracks. It has some songs you’ll likely want to sing during worship and some songs you’ll likely want to just skip over as they come up. But, don’t get me wrong. It’s a good album. I just imagine it might be a great album if it were a live experience. There is something powerful about 10,000 people singing songs like this in unison. The lyrics might not be amazingly deep, causing you to lose it emotionally and fall to your knees in repentance (though they just might). But, true depth is to be found in the community of worship that Abel has opened himself to facilitating.
RATING: 3/5
