Music Review: All That is Within Me by MercyMe

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Challenging and worshipful songs
Cons: Sameness to the tracks
The Bottom Line:
Some similar sounds
On songs that are challenging
Well worth a listen




This CD Will Cause All That Is Within You to Praise God

Pop/rock band Mercy Me literally exploded onto the Christian music scene in 2001. Their debut release included the hit single "I Can Only Imagine" which took Christian music by storm for a long time before finally becoming a mainstream hit as well.

From that very first release, the band has had a focus on worship. That focus is never more pronounced then it is on their newest release, All That Is Within Me. In fact, the second track on the disc is "Time has Come." And just what time has come? The time to worship God, of course. It's an upbeat rocker with an infectious beat and catchy melody.

But what about the first track? Well, I'm glad you asked. Unlike most releases that bury the challenge songs later in the disc, this release opens with a challenge. "Goodbye Ordinary" calls for Christians to live extraordinary lives because there is so much more to life. It's a solid pop/rock opener with a syncopated beat that will definitely stick in your head.

There is a focus here on praising God because of what He has done for us. That theme first comes up on "God with Us," the first radio single. This rock anthem starts softly with lead singer Bart Millard's voice and electric guitar. It quickly builds until it is proudly proclaiming praise to God. The song wonders at God's gift of salvation to undeserving humans like us. The praise just flows from those observations.

Along similar lines is "Sanctified." It's slightly slower and quieter then the last song, but it also revels in God's work to change us.

"Grace Tells Another Story" is a reminder that no human is beyond God's power to change a life. Its driving base line is deceptive. The song is actually on the slower end of things, but it feels like a faster, rockier song because of the pounding drums and base line.

The disc also explores the pain of life. "I Know" has a chorus that is guaranteed to get stuck in your head. That's not bad since it is a good reminder that, no matter what we are facing, God still reigns and is able to help us. It's nice and bouncy with a strong piano backing over the guitar and strings.

The band goes slightly country/pop for "Alright." There's nothing deep to this song. It just reminds us that, even when life rains on our parade, we are to count it all joy.

"My Heart will Fly" is the first to two slower songs that close out the disc. It looks forward to the day we fly away from the pain on earth and reach Heaven where we will understand our pain and the tears will be dried from our eyes. The driving beat of the verses vanishes for the chorus, and Bart's voice echoes itself, which creates a very haunting effect.

Bart lost his father during high school. That helps put the final song into perspective. "Finally Home" ponders on the reunion the two will have in Heaven. But the second verse goes beyond all that and thinks about the glory of seeing God for the first time and all the wonders He has for us.

Mercy Me's first release was very solid pop/rock. They leaned to the pop side for a while before moving in the rock direction for their last release. This one follows in that vein with a rockier sound, but it isn't as rocky as that last release.

Their constant downfall has been the sameness of their music. They tend to find a style they want for a release and stick to it. As a result, every song can sound the same after a while. That's the only flaw here. While many of the songs blend into each other on purpose, they are hard to distinguish from their neighbors. While all the songs are great, my ear tends to tune them out after awhile because it isn't hearing anything new. More variety would have helped.

Yes, this was enough to knock a point of the rating. But this is still a very solid release. While it won't win the band any new fans, All That Is Within Me will please their many faithful followers and leave them begging for more.

CD Length: 44:00

Tracks:

1. Goodbye Ordinary

2. Time Has Come

3. I Know

4. God with Us

5. Sanctified

6. You Reign

7. Grace Tells Another Story

8. Alright

9. My Heart Will Fly

10. Finally Home