Music Review and Giveaway of Chris Tomlin's NEW CD "Holy Roar"

Dear Blog Readers,

Today, I’m reviewing Chris Tomlin's new CD “Holy Roar” for FlyBy Promotions. You’re in for a treat because they’re offering one copy of his CD to one lucky winner!

Here's a photo of the album cover:

Enjoy this music feature!

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Artist Bio:

Chris Tomlin is one of the most heralded singer-songwriters in the world who has amassed an impressive body of work. He has sold more than 8 million albums, 11.3 million digital tracks with 16 #1 singles. 

Chris is one of only four artists ever to receive the Sound Exchange Digital Radio Award for over 1 Billion digital radio streams, others include Justin Timberlake, Pitbull and Garth Brooks. 



The Grammy® winner’s list of music awards include an American Music Award, 3 Billboard Music Awards, 21 Dove Awards, a BMI Songwriter of the Year Award and more. Chris’ concert tours have sold-out venues in major cities including New York City’s Madison Square Garden, The Forum in Los Angeles, Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and Red Rocks in Denver, among others.

This spring, Chris marked another career milestone by launching his own imprint record label, Bowyer & Bow, in partnership with Capitol Christian Music Group.

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Ready for my review? Read on! 

Every song is rated between 1 and 5 stars. Here’s the meaning of each starred rating:

5 stars = Wonderful! I love it!

4 stars = Great song and lyrics, I really like it!

3 stars = Nice tune but not too spectacular

2 stars = I really do not like this song

1 star = Not worth listening to

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Song #1: Holy Roar
Rating: 5
Review: As the title song for this album, “Holy Roar” is worth its weight in gold! It’s like the rallying of the troops in God’s Army, a gathering of His people from around the world to worship Him. The tune is inspiring and the lyrics move you to worship God right along with Chris Tomlin and his band.

Song #2: Nobody Loves Me Like You
Rating: 5
Review: Listening to the lyrics of this song accompanied with the soft, peaceful sounds, is like watching the sunrise from the window of your home. The feel of this song makes you feel like you live in a beautiful, serene mountainside log cabin in the picturesque part of Montana (USA)! I can almost smell the fresh mountain air and feel the cool breeze. This song feels very much like the Fall season on the East Coast—beautiful in color, tone and feel. Through the sound and lyrics of this song, Tomlin does a wonderful job in moving the listener to worship God as they reflect on His Goodness that we’re reminded of in the song’s lyrics. It is beautifully serene, sweet and whimsical.

Song #3: Resurrection Power
Rating: 4
Review: My first thoughts in hearing the first two lines of this song were, “I heard this song on the radio!” Haha. It’s very familiar to me. I enjoy listening to it. The message that God has given us freedom from the bondage of sin if we just choose Him and accept His gift of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ, really resonates with me. The lyrics are straight-forward and Bible-based. The tempo of the song is upbeat but perfectly paced. Nice!

Song #4: Goodness, Love and Mercy
Rating: 3
Review: This song is a nice rendition of Psalm 23. There’s not too much to it. Tomlin basically sings the Bible verses without adding or taking away anything, which is good but the sound is a bit boring. It just didn’t move me.

Song #5: Satisfied
Rating: 3
Review: This song serves to remind the listener that in a world of thirsty people, only Jesus can truly satisfy. It reminds me of the Bible verse about how wells filled with water run dry but when you drink from the Living Water (a relationship with Jesus Christ), you will never thirst again. You won’t thirst for the temporary trappings of this world. Knowing Jesus is freedom from the ways of this world that don’t save your soul. Only Jesus can save your soul. Only He can quench your thirst when you’re searching for something more or trying to figure out the meaning of life. Hint: Jesus is what your soul longs for and only He can save your soul, ushering you right into eternity when He returns to Earth to take His faithful followers home to Heaven. This song reminds me that Earth is not our Home. It helps tune me into the Bigger Picture where God wins over sin and the enemy, where His plan for humanity is restored—a plan where death, destruction, and pain have no place ever again! Despite the wonderful life lessons I hear in this song “Satisfied”, I didn’t like the tune and I thought some of the lyrics could have been written better, which is why I’m giving it this rating.

Song #6: Impact
Rating: 4
Review: This song is like a welcome to worship God. It starts off slow and sweet then picks up tempo before taking off like an airplane on a beautiful musical journey, destination: the presence of God!

Song #7: Praise Him Forever
Rating: 4
Review: This song is a worship tune for real. It made me want to stand and clap my hands and dance down the church aisles. The sound of this song will make you happy and remind you of all of God’s Goodness. His Love for humankind is unrivaled.

Song #8: Is He Worthy?
Rating: 4
Review: This song is filled with questions for the listener (literally) but these questions are not without purpose. The lyrics challenge the listener to think deeply about the meaning of life, love, and God.

Song #9: Forever Young
Rating: 5
Review: Now who doesn’t want to be “Forever Young?” But this song isn’t about the “Fountain of Youth”, it’s about the Eternal King, Creator of the Universe who is forever true to His Word (The Holy Bible) and caring about His people (humankind). I love the line about Jesus creating “rivers in my soul.” It’s beautiful on every point: sound, lyrics, tempo, everything!

Song #10: I Stand in Awe (feat. Nicole Serrano)
Rating: 5
Review: Nicole Serrano’s voice is the first sound I heard in this song, and it’s beautiful. Her voice is soulful and deep yet light as air. The way that Tomlin’s voice joins hers first like a backup singer then as an equal results in a breathtaking duet between two professional singers who know what they’re doing—they’ve created a musical masterpiece!

Song #11: Praise Is the Highway
Rating: 4
Review: This song has a powerful message about the power of God to break strongholds and how praise is the highway to the throne and heart of God. I could hear the guitar and drums, which in this case are just as necessary as the lyrics.

Song #12: How Sweet It Is (feat. Pat Barrett)
Rating: 3
Review: I thought that this song was sweet but it’s not my cup of tea. The message, however, is nice because it talks about how sweet it is to be loved by Jesus but I didn’t like the song or Pat Barrett’s singing voice.

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Buy Chris Tomlin's "Holy Roar" CD here, 
https://christomlin.lnk.to/HolyRoarQW

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Hear Chris talk about the idea of his new album "Holy Roar," here.

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Read this message from FlyBy Promotions regarding the giveaway of Chris Tomlin’s CD “Holy Roar”: 

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

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Enter the giveaway contest via the Rafflecopter widget below for your chance to WIN a copy of "Holy Roar" (CD) by Chris Tomlin: 

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Music CD Giveaway: Nichole Nordeman "Every Mile Mattered"

Dear Blog Readers,

Today, I’m reviewing Nichole Nordeman’s new CD “Every Mile Mattered” for Flyby Promotions. You’re in for a treat because they’re offering one copy of Nichole’s CD to one lucky winner!

Word to the wise: Even if you do not win this CD, buy it because it’s packed with God-given messages that will inspire your mind and encourage your heart as your journey through life.

Before we dive into my review of this captivating CD, let's learn a bit more about the artist behind the music, Nichole via snippets of her professional bio!

A top Christian artist with four No. 1 and seven Top 5 singles under her belt — along with nine Dove Awards including two Female Vocalist of the Year wins — Nordeman stepped out of the limelight to work on saving her marriage and raising her babies. The union didn’t last, but she says she’s still grateful she made that decision because she wouldn’t have forgiven herself if she didn’t give it her full attention. She also didn’t have to miss a minute of her children’s all-important early development, and was still able to feed her creative urges by writing for other artists. As for her post-divorce journey from a place of isolation and loss to acceptance and strength, Nordeman says, “As hard as it was to start over, a lot of beauty came from those ashes.”

Every Mile Mattered, Nichole's new CD, released in July 2017. She's said that she identifies strongly with “Sound of Surviving,” inspired by the story of Demonte Bell, a popular young employee of a smoothie shop across from a celebrity-filled L.A. workout studio who was shot 28 times in a random drive-by. Miraculously, he managed to survive, and went to the studio to thank those who had supported his recovery efforts. After slowly inching his way forward on crutches, he told the roomful of teary-eyed people staring in disbelief, “I’m still here.”

“I just thought about so many people who are saying those three words in the middle of cancer, in the middle of divorce or addiction or in the middle of deep loss and suffering,” she explains. “They’re saying to the darkness, ‘I’m still here.’ It’s an anthem for anyone who’s in the middle of a fight. It’s easy to write a song after you’ve won the battle, but when you’re in the middle of it, it’s maybe even more important to say those empowering words. To your struggle. To yourself. To God.”

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Doesn't it feel like you know Nichole now? She's pretty awesome! I don't know her personally but I've been a fan of her music since my college years. So I was delighted to receive this new CD of hers for free in exchange for an honest review.

Let's move on to my review of her new CD! :) 

Every song is rated between 1 and 5 stars. Here’s the meaning of each starred rating:

5 stars = Wonderful! I love it!

4 stars = Great song and lyrics, I really like it!

3 stars = Nice tune but not too spectacular

2 stars = I really do not like this song

1 star = Not worth listening to

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Song #1: Every Mile Mattered
Rating: 4 stars
Review: This song is rich in imagery and solid in composition. I loved the way that Nichole started the song like a story and encourages the listener to know that every mile in their life journey mattered. It’s a reminder that all of the tears and trials made me into who I am today. All of the pain and all of the joys amounted to life as I know it now. Nothing was wasted. God brings beauty out of brokenness and paints masterpieces out of pain.

Song #2: You’re Here
Rating: 4 stars
Review: This song is a beautiful reminder that no matter what you’re going through or how far away it makes you feel from God, you are not alone because God is still here. He’s right there with you in the storms of life. He wants you to stay close to Him and trust Him to help you survive the storm.

Song #3: Dear Me
Rating: 5 stars
Review: This song is like a journal entry that Nichole wrote to herself. It starts off slow and melancholy then takes flight. Like looking out the window inside an airplane flying over the sunrise, these lyrics give a beautiful view of God’s Love for humankind. It’s a beautiful story of transformation concerning how God took someone from barely believing in him to blossoming into a good understanding of God’s heart of compassion. It’s a glorious melody. Makes me feel like I’m fully immersed in a movie or moving through beautiful scenery like the Lavender Fields in France.

Song #4: No Longer
Rating: 4 stars
Review: This song is a goodbye to a faithless life. It’s a hello to a faith-filled life, a progression toward falling in love with Jesus Christ and going on a journey with Him. She no longer is afraid and bound to living a “safe” life. She’s traded her comfort for an adventure, following God’s lead and allowing Him to take her on a journey beyond her wildest dreams.

Song #5: Lean
Rating: 4 stars
Review: The first few notes of this song sound similar to “Here with Us” which is a Christmas song by Joy Williams. But after the first bar, this song shows that it’s clearly an original by Nichole. It’s deep and retrospective. She shares how she learned how to lean into Jesus. It’s a reminder of how God is truly Jehovah Jireh (Provider) and is strong enough for us to lean on Him.

Song #6: Hush, Hush
Rating: 4 stars
Review: A beautiful reminder of God’s unconditional love for us. This song spoke to me. I felt like this is what God tells me when I’m upset or depressed and just not understanding. I love the line that says “You don’t have to have all the answers”. I like how this song encourages me to rest and trust God to take care of everything. He’s more than capable of taking care of me. He wants me to “hush”, calm down and trust Him completely. Thank you, Nichole, for this beautiful reminder!

Song #7: Listen to Your Life
Rating: 4 stars
Review: The opening line to this song made me LOL. Nichole says, “I hear voices, don’t think that I’m crazy.” The second line says, “I can hear my heart trying to tell my head take it easy.” I totally related to it. I love how the lyrics in this upbeat melody encourage me to listen to my life. What is God trying to tell me? What do I need to pay attention to? What do I need to let go of to hear God’s Voice?

Song #8: Beautiful Day
Rating: 4 stars
Review: This song fades in and echoes at the start, Nichole’s voice is barely a whisper for the first few moments of this tune. A soft and gentle touch carries the listener through this song from start to finish. It makes me think of beautiful days on the beach in the summertime. Sitting on the shore, listening to the ebb and flow of the ocean. It’s very relaxing. I think the message in this song is about appreciating every day of life that God gives you. It’s a beautiful day when you let God’s Grace shine through it.

Song #9: Sound of Surviving
Rating: 5 stars
Review: This song is my new anthem! I’ve played it on repeat every single day since receiving this CD a few weeks ago. It’s amazing! I relate to the message and love how toward the end of the song, Nichole encourages the listener to say, “I’m still here.” She tells us to “say it to the pain”, “Say it the rain”, “Say it to your fear.” I love it! This song makes me want to fight for my life and never give up. It’s a gorgeous way to remind the listener that we can do ALL things through Jesus Christ who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13)! I love every second of this song…such an inspiration! I’m still here!

Song #10: Anywhere We Are
Rating: 4 stars
Review: This song is a reminder that every person on planet Earth will experience trials BUT we are more than overcomers with God on our side! We must choose to trust Him and remember that anywhere we are in life, He is there and He’s able to help us through any situation that life serves.

Song #11: Slow Down
Rating: 4 stars
Review: This song is a tribute to Nichole’s children. It’s about how fast they're growing up and how she wants them to slow down. It’s a song about cherishing every moment in life. It’s clear that as a mother, Nichole wants to hold her babies while they're still small enough to be held. She wants to keep them close to her heart even when they grow up and go to college. Ultimately, it’s a maternal love song with a simple message: No matter how old her babies get, she’s going to be there for them because she’s their Mother and she loves them with all of her heart. It reminds me of the perfect parallel: We are children of God, He loves us with ALL of His heart and He will always be there for us through every stage of our life.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this CD which I received from Capitol Christian Music Group via FlyBy Promotions. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
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Connect with Nichole and buy her CD:
Official website - http://nicholenordeman.com

Buy links – iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon

She has a book “Slow Down" coming out in August, pre-order here:
http://slowdown-book.com 
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Enter this music giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of Nichole's new CD by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

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Music Monday: Kari Jobe's new album, "The Garden"

    

Kari Jobe
"The Garden" (Listen to the song here)
(Summary courtesy of MergePR)

It’s said for everything there is a season. Winter. Spring. Summer. Fall. One by one, we experience these seasons throughout our lives. Our souls grow dark and weary in the thick of winter, and just when we think we can’t endure another cold night, we recognize the first signs of spring. Slow and unexpected, welcome shades of green break through the frozen ground. Sometimes our Creator uses His own creation to remind us that even amidst winter’s chill He is always at work. For it’s in the unseen where life’s most beautiful moments take shape. Worship leader Kari Jobe knows this to be true in her own life, and on her fourth album, The Garden (Capitol CMG), she invites listeners to drink of the wellspring of hope she’s found in the midst of unimaginable tragedy. 

Jobe has earned the right to speak from experience. She’s become a trusted friend to listeners throughout a career that includes more than 1 million albums sold, a GRAMMY® nomination, multiple Dove Awards and praise from the New York Times. She’s amassed 173 million career streams and is the most-followed female CCM artist on social media with a following that exceeds 3.5 million. Beyond the stats, Jobe’s timeless songs have carried countless listeners to the feet of Christ over and over again. Her voice has become a soundtrack to people’s lives, and The Garden is well-equipped to bring healing in the midst of pain.

While The Garden planted the songwriter back in the studio following 2014’s critically-acclaimed live recording, Majestic—which won a GMA Dove Award for Praise and Worship Album of the Year—the new album is also rooted in a series of personal transition and remarkable grief for the singer and her family. In the past two years, Jobe married her husband Cody Carnes and moved from her hometown of Dallas, Texas, to Nashville, where the couple bought their first home and had a baby. With due dates three months apart, Jobe and her sister, Kris, were excited to be pregnant at the same time. Yet, in the midst of happy life changes, heartbreak struck. Seven-and-a-half months into her pregnancy, Kris gave birth to a stillborn daughter, James Ivy. Jobe, four months pregnant with her son at the time, was devastated.

“It just shattered my heart. It was so, so hard,” Jobe shares. “It wrecked me—just the weight of unanswered prayers. I was trying to walk in peace when I didn’t feel peaceful and find my rest when my spirit didn’t feel rested.”

Aching for her sister, Jobe was simultaneously anxious for the safety of her own child. On February 18, 2016, a healthy Canyon Carnes entered the world. “It’s hard to celebrate life, but to be grieving with your sister,” Jobe admits, adding that knowing Canyon’s name ahead of time gave her strength through the remainder of her pregnancy after the loss of her niece. “God gave us his name even before this whole thing took place,” she says. “Canyon means a deep ravine for water to flow through. Canyons are formed through storms, so the fact that God gave me his name was so peaceful to me… I was thankful He gave me his name for that season.”

While the birth of her son was undoubtedly a milestone to celebrate, her sister’s loss weighed heavy on her heart. Yet, a reminder of God’s kindness came in a surprising way. As Jobe held Canyon in her arms, she stood looking out the kitchen window of her new home. And there in her backyard, she glimpsed the first signs of spring. When she and her husband purchased the house, a garden that resided on the property was overgrown; and though they knew it needed to be tended, they were advised to wait and see what it produced. The result was a breathtaking bounty of harvest. That day, Jobe made her way through the garden—a stark reminder of God’s faithfulness in all circumstances. Looking up, interwoven in the archway, she couldn’t help but smile as she saw what only God could produce: thick, green ivy lacing its way overhead, immediately reminding her of her niece’s namesake.

“Ivy is the most resilient plant there is. It can grow in the harshest of climates; it can grow in the harshest of situations,” Jobe explains, adding, “I’m standing in this garden. There’s ivy growing, and I just started to realize, ‘God, You’re moving in a way that is different than what I asked for, but You are moving.’ He’s at work and doing things we can’t see.”

The experience yielded the title track for Jobe’s new album and fresh healing for her soul. “Those seeds were planted years ago for it to be the way that it was that day for me, because it wasn’t just last year that they planted all this beautiful ivy. That took years,” she observes. “Something in my spirit started to rustle. Life was coming back. What felt dead in my heart was starting to wake up. It was like I’d been in this place of being numb in my walk with the Lord, but something just started blooming in my heart.”

Her unanswered questions began to grow into songs. As Jobe declared God’s goodness over her own circumstances, He began to transform her heart. “These raw things were coming out of my mouth, so I just started writing,” she shares. “I Will Sing,” written while she was still pregnant, became the first song she penned for this album. Jobe spent the next several months pouring out her emotions one track at a time, collaborating with friends, and eventually recording half of the album in Redding, California, and the other half in Nashville. She and her husband wrote together frequently, and Cody adds vocals on numerous tracks. In addition, Jobe co-wrote with acclaimed songwriters, including Jacob and Amanda Cook of Bethel Music, Brooke Fraser Ligertwood, Ben Fielding, Jason Ingram, Mia Fieldes, Martin Smith, Henry Seeley and Josh Silverburg, among others. In addition, she covered two songs that she claimed in the midst of loss: Jesus Culture’s “Miracles” and Elevation Church’s “Here As In Heaven.” Jeremy Edwardson (Jesus Culture, Bryan and Katie Torwalt), who helmed Majestic, produced the project.

While songs like “Fall Afresh,” “Heal Our Land” and “Closer to Your Heart” reveal congregational anthems like many of the offerings that have defined Jobe’s career, most of The Garden’s 14 tracks speak to hope in the midst of loss, peace in the midst of uncertainty and God’s presence in the midst of pain. “Oh The Power” vividly recalls another garden where suffering took place, the Garden of Gethsemane. “Jesus went to a garden in His last moments to have intimacy with the Father. It was like He wanted to be surrounded with something that reminded Him of when there was no sin and there was no separation from God,” Jobe says, referencing the garden where mankind began—in Eden. It’s a heavenly space she hopes to invite listeners into with her new album, which, on a sonic level, feels like an overarching narrative backed by a sweeping cinematic score, meant to be savored from start to finish.

“The garden is true intimacy with the Father, and it’s a place where He intended for us as humankind to be surrounded with His creation. There’s life in things that He’s created,” she offers. “I want to lead people into intimacy with the Father. It’s something that’s so important as we walk through stuff in our lives.”

Today, Jobe and her family continue to discover restoration through glimpses of God’s goodness. “The healing that He’s been bringing to my family and the way that He’s met us in our pain, it’s made me realize how many people are going through really intense pain and disappointments and trials,” Jobe offers. “There’s a lot of people who have lost babies or family members out of traumatic experiences. My eyes have been opened to that in a whole new way.”

She’s also viewing her platform in a new light since giving birth to Canyon. “I feel more of a maternal instinct now in my worship leading, even declaring things over people,” she shares, adding, “At the end of the day, my favorite thing now is just to be on the floor playing with blocks and reading books. Nothing else really matters. If I just became his momma and a wife, I’m fine with that. I just feel more settled than I’ve ever felt in my life.”

In the time leading up to The Garden, Jobe has experienced both indescribable joy and unimaginable pain. Life and death, side by side. Yet, through it all, she’s found God to be inextricably faithful because she’s learned to trust the Gardner and the beautiful, unseen ways He tends to our hearts.

“Everyone who’s seen something grow out of the dust realizes God was up to something in the midst of pain and questions. He never promised that it would be easy or that it would be pain-free, but that He would never leave us or forsake us,” Jobe offers, adding, “I’m more aware of His presence than I think I’ve ever been. God has surrounded us with things that will be life-giving if we take a moment to realize it. God’s always at work in our lives. He truly does go before us and prepares the way for the journey ahead.”

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Fill out the Rafflecopter widget below for your chance to WIN this album by Kari Jobe! *This CD giveaway contest is only open to people who are residents of the United States of America.

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