Charlie Hall – The Rising
Posted: November 5th, 2010 | Author: Mike Mahoney | Filed under: Charlie Hall | Tags: alastair, Cd review, conner, klampert, sixpence records, the joint review, Worship | 1 Comment »
Purchase Charlie Hall – The Rising 
Artist official site
| SYNOPSIS | |
| KLAMPERT: I have been a Charlie Hall fan since the beginning. Hmm..Maybe even before then. I am getting to the point where my yearly schedule revolves around when the next CD will come out. All kidding aside I consider Charlie one of my top favorite worship artists out there. On my blog I claimed The Bright Sadness Album as being the best CD of that year and I have been eagerly waiting for this CD.
Normally it takes me no time to jump in and love a Hall CD, but this one was different. I can’t put my finger on it, but it has taken me a long time to warm up to it. There are some amazing cuts on here and my enthusiasm for the CD also stems from the fact that I heard charlie play a few of the songs live the week before. Ultimately this CD takes us on a journey towards a bit more of a commercial side of Hall that does not sacrifice his deep lyrical content. While this CD has taken some time to love I want to clarify one thing. I do LOVE it. It is full of great poetic imagery, brilliant production and extremely creative and out of the box songwriting. |
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| BYRD: Charlie Hall sure have come a long way from the Porch and Altar! I’ve been a long time listener and fan of Charlie and how much his song writing seems to touch my soul. If he’s not writing a song that literally seems like prophesy of the time, he’s literally pouring out his heart and soul through his music and it’s always connected with me. He’s not the hit maker Tomlin is and he’s not as quirky as Crowder and yet, these last two releases have felt a little bit like catering to what “sells” trying to find that middle of the road that Charlie would sit in. I believe this release is much more grounded in who they are and finds us with a much more self aware band than The Bright Sadness. Either that, or the evolution of the band is beginning to form wings and they’re able to take off!It’s such a well thought out and made CD too! Rising and Let the Earth Awake are killer openers. Ransom gives us a weird honky tonk gospel shake up and then into Constant. I believe it’s in Constant, Lamp, and Deeper in Love where Charlie really shines. Such beautiful and powerful songs. King of Heaven has been heard on the Passion: Awakening release but I love what they’ve done with the studio version! It’s given some real polish to it while keeping the corporate feel! But perhaps the most surprising and well received by this reviewer is the ending with Sleep and Dreams. It’s a raw 7 minute lullaby that makes me teary eyed every time I get to it. Well done all around Charlie! | |
| MAHONEY: One thing you pretty much can be assured from a Charlie Hall album is that it won’t be the “same ol’” that you might find from a lot of Christian artists. Somewhat in the vein of David Crowder* Band, Charlie dances to his own tune, and allows us to come along for the ride.
Most Charlie Hall albums take a little while for me to get into, and this is no exception. I have no doubt that in a couple of months, I won’t be able to stop listening to this record. But from jump, this is something special. ”Rising (Song of Ascent) slaps you in the face as soon as you start to listen. By the time you get to the third track, you need a breather from the intensity you’ve been subjected to, and “Ransom” gives it to you. And by the time you think you’ve got it all figured out, “King of Heaven” makes you rethink that stance. The ride continues right up to the denouement of “Sleep and Dreams.” Like Crowder, Charlie Hall isn’t for everyone. You probably won’t hear a lot of his music in church besides “Marvelous Light” (although I’ve done “Hookers and Robbers” and “Chainbreaker” with Klampert), but he’s definitely worth a listen. |
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| VANCE: I’ve been listening to The Rising all day, just hoping I’d warm up to it a little. I have quite a few friends who are mad about the Charlie Hall Band, but I don’t get it.
The quality of the record is smashing. No complaints there. The songs are well written with wonderful lyrics, so I don’t know why I can’t connect fully with it. Maybe it will grow on me? There are a couple of standout songs though, even for a non Charlie Hall fan like me. ”King Of Heaven” is probably the best track on the album for me, followed by “Deeper In Love”. |
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| BOTTOM LINE | |
KLAMPERT: If you are not a charlie Hall fan now is the time to jump in head first. If you are a Hall fan and you are not really into this give it a few more listens because I think this may become one of your favorite CD’s. Rating:   |
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| BYRD: I’ve always said that I either love Charlie Hall and his band too much or everyone else loves him too little. I think this is an accessible project that newcomers can really get into and old timers like your’s truly would be really proud of. Rating: |
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| MAHONEY: A back-to-his-roots Charlie Hall, thoughtful and intense. Rating: |
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| VANCE: I hate giving it a low rating. It doesn’t mean that it’s not good, it’s just not my taste. Rating: |
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| MUST HAVE SONGS | |
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MAHONEY
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VANCE:
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| SONGS FOR CHURCH | |
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MAHONEY:
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| VANCE:
Can’t see me using any of these in the foreseeable future. |
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The Joint gives Charlie Hall – The Rising Overall Rating: 
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