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Rend Collective Experiment - 'Homemade Worship By Handmade People'

Fun Music by Phenomenal Folks

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Rend Collective Experiment - Homemade Worship By Handmade People

Rend Collective Experiment - Homemade Worship By Handmade People

Kingsway
Imagine, if you will, having a bunch of musicians gathered in your living room, all enjoying each other and making music. The night would be informal and unhurried; the music would be full of passion that showcased each individual person's taste and talents. Now move the party to Northern Ireland and put it in Gareth and Ally Gilkeson's living room. Stretch it out over a period of weeks - night after night of fellowship and fun. Friends making music and making memories. Homemade Worship By Handmade People is the end result of this music party. An album from the hearts, minds and living room of Rend Collective Experiment.

Honest, Homespun Worship

  • Style: Worship
  • 11 Songs
  • Time: 45 minutes
  • Release Date: January 10, 2012
  • Label: Kingsway

To me, all music comes from the heart and the artists that make it leave little pieces of themselves in the final creations. However, frequently I hear something done live that is as raw as it is powerful - and then I hear the radio version and the raw passion seems to be muted by production slickness. While I don't have anything against "radio friendly" songs or music producers, I think it's the nature of the business to produce more and create less. Maybe that's why Rend Collective Experiment's Homemade Worship By Handmade People appeals to me so much. While the production is flawless, the music itself isn't all dressed up. It's practically naked in its purity and warmth. There is truth in the lyrics and the accompanying music amplifies it rather than exaggerating it. The slow-moving "Keep Me Near Your Heart" is a prime example of this. A petition to God himself for intimate closeness, this song flows as naturally as breathing.

Take a 180 degree turn in musical style and you'll land right in the middle of "True Intimacy." With an almost, sort of, kind of pop flavor (maybe), it's upbeat but without any fluff you might expect to hear in music classified as "pop." The album closer, "Shining Star" flows along the same lines. This is no Earth Wind & Fire cover - it's an original song to Jesus, the biggest shining star out there! Kick the tempo up a notch and you'll be ready for the opening track, "Praise Like Fireworks." Not every band can transition so smoothly from one style to the next and Rend Collective Experiment does it will absolute ease.

Bottom line - Homemade Worship By Handmade People is as much of a party as it is a prayer. It is a celebration of life (the one lived by Jesus as well as our own) that doesn't forget that our eternities started off with His death on the cross. It's an album that will move you forward in your walk while stopping you dead in your tracks with undeniable truth. Paradoxical? Maybe at first glance, but as each piece of this musical puzzle falls into place, you'll find that it makes more and more sense. With each listen (and you can't help but listen again), you step into a world of feeling full to the brim, yet wanting even more.

Homemade Worship By Handmade People Track List:

  1. Praise Like Fireworks
  2. You are My Vision
  3. The Cost
  4. Second Chance
  5. True Intimacy
  6. Build Your Kingdom Here
  7. Desert Soul
  8. Christ Has Set Me Free
  9. Keep Me Near
  10. Alabaster
  11. Shining Star
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.

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