Ian Yates - Awaken the Love (2016)
To be honest, I'm not really a huge fan of a whole lot of his older stuff, as it fits into the modern worship box way too snugly. There was definitely some evident improvement as I went from album to album, but on the whole it's by the books worship music. I didn't think his material was bad; it just didn't grab me in any meaningful way.
That being said, Ian's new project Awaken to Love has a lot more to offer than his prior work. It's got some solid lyricism and musical composition that are just inside the box enough to be accessible but not too much so that the album becomes boring. There's some definite signs of growth here that make me legitimately excited to hear what's next from Ian in his career.
Musically, Awaken the Love falls squarely into the spectrum of modern worship, which at first seems a little standard. It resembles Hillsong UNITED and Bethel's latest work a little too much for it to stand out tremendously; however, there's still some bright spots. The middle portion of the album has a nice feel that's not too off the beaten path but still has a nice modern-retro feel with some nice bright synth lines and both electric and acoustic drums. Ian's voice also sounds a lot brighter than it has before and is delivered in a slightly higher register, which definitely makes the music a lot more engaging and fits the new musical style as well. "Not Alone" is musically one of my favorites on this record, as it moves out of the box a lot more often, having a sound heavily rooted in the latest chill indie pop and a nice dynamic feel. If you're a fan of Hillsong UNITED's albums Aftermath or Zion, this is going to be right up your alley.
Lyrically, there's a lot more poetic lyricism on Awaken to Love than Ian's previous projects. The title track is particularly strong on this front, with its petition to God for spurring the church on to love the world being the driving force behind the album. "No Longer I" integrates the traditional hymn "At the Cross" and does so quite well, making sure to add to the original song while also adding extra meaning to it instead of just for addition's sake. The album opener "High Wire" has a lot of depth, using walking on a high wire as a metaphor for our faith and our Christian walk. It also pleads to God to catch us when we happen to fall, which is a theme that really resonates with my life right now. On the whole, there is some definite poetic growth from Ian compared to his previous work; however, if intense lyrical depth is something you crave, I don't think you're going to find it here. That's not a bad thing; it's just something worth noting.
There's one song on Awaken to Love, though, that I just cannot figure out: "All You Need Is Love." When I saw the tracklisting for the first time, I thought that it was odd that Ian had used the same title as a classic Beatles hit. As it turns out, he uses the chorus of that song to illustrate that the only thing we need in life is the love of God. While I appreciate the sentiment, it just doesn't sit well with me because it feels forced and disconnected with the rest of the song and by extension the album.
Besides that one flaw, though, Awaken to Love is a solid worship album. Ian has really grown as an artist between DNA, his previous project, and this new record. There's a lot of musical and lyrical development that I appreciate, but another thing I've really enjoyed about Awaken to Love is its utter simplicity. Ian's not trying to be the next crazy indie worship act; he's making music from the heart. Sometimes, that's all that you need for a project like this.
My rating: 3.5/5
Best tracks: "High Wire," "Awaken to Love," "No Longer I," "Not Alone"
Where to buy: iTunes, Amazon
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