Matt Redman “Life & Breath” Album Review

Prime Cuts: Let Me See Jesus / Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, A Thousand Ways, Hallowed Be

Overall Grade: 3.5/5

With Life & Breath, all of Matt Redman's signature sounds are intact: anthemic, singable, and congregationally focused. Recorded as a "live studio" album, the record captures the energy and authenticity of corporate worship while maintaining the clarity and polish of a studio production. The album's nine carefully curated tracks invite listeners into a space where prayer, devotion, and theology coexist seamlessly, offering both personal reflection and communal praise.

The album's strongest moments come from its balance of intimacy and grandeur. Tracks like "Let Me See Jesus / Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus," featuring Charity Gayle, blend familiar hymns with fresh voices, creating a bridge between tradition and contemporary expression. "Hallowed Be," with its swirling piano riffs and Redman's assured vocals, provides an intimate spiritual moment on the record. The inclusion of Joe Barnes and Callout Music adds rich texture and emotional depth to "A Thousand Ways." The careful orchestration makes this track feel less like a performance and more like an invitation into worship.

Theologically, Life & Breath aims to dive deeper than the surface lyricism common in modern worship. Yet, with "The God We Love (Nicene Creed)," Redman recycles words of the Nicene Creed into music-a route already explored by Hillsong Worship with "This I Believe (The Creed)." His adaptation of the Lord's Prayer in "Holy Be Your Name (Lord's Prayer)" doesn't offer much fresh insight either. Perhaps a slower touring schedule would allow Redman to explore other Christian classics in ways that feel more original and inspired.

This sense of fatigue surfaces in the pedantic "Praise to the Most High," which includes some of the most trivial lines in worship music: There's an open door / And a way that leads to the throne of grace / There's a holy song / That we shout aloud to the King who reigns. While the album showcases Redman's familiar sound, it also reveals a predictability. The live studio format preserves immediacy but limits sonic adventure, and some listeners may find the pacing uniformly restrained. Yet, this understated approach may be intentional, prioritizing worshipful reflection over musical flashiness.

For longtime fans, Life & Breath is a mixed experience. While it offers moments of beauty, intimacy, and congregational strength, it occasionally feels like Redman is treading familiar ground rather than venturing into new creative or theological territory. In the end, the album serves as a competent, heartfelt collection for worship settings-but one that leaves a desire for fresh inspiration and risk-taking from a songwriter of Redman's caliber.

 

 

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