Jeff Morris - 'Everything'

Indie artist Jeff Morris took the long way to get to his sophomore release, Everything, but the journey was worth every step.

Apparently, he wasn’t ready for success when it first came to him in a Sony contract 10 years ago. The Lord took care of that, landing him in restaurant work, among other hard places, until his spirit was ready. Ten years later, he’s more than ready.

After winning a local radio talent contest, he moved step by step into the world of Christian music, before finally landing a gig opening for his favorite band, NewSong. Members Scotty Wilbanks and Michael O’Brien took Morris under their wing, producing, writing and singing back-up on many of the tracks. So this project is polished and well-rounded, ready to lead you into worship.

Morris brings hook-filled songs ala Jeff Deyo, with fat guitars that fill the sky. But he seems to excel at sparkling vocal arrangements that bring his Christ-centered message on with power and beauty. There’s a nice diversity of styles on Everything, covering worshipful ballads to full-on rockers to radio-friendly pop. My favorites were the songs that seemed created for corporate worship. Buzzy “Lift You Up” comes across like Sunday morning, if your church is jammin’ in joy. The bouncing bass line straight from the 70s and the full choir lead you to a place of celebratory worship. “So Amazing” starts pretty, but quickly gets you lost in praise. I see a radio hit coming in “My Soul,” a moving piano ballad that gives Morris’ vocal chops a chance to shine. “All or Nothing,” an infectious tongue-in-cheek rocker, brings shades of Steven Curtis Chapman.