Music Review: This Moment by Steven Curtis Chapman

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Fun songs with great lyrics

Cons: Repetitive choruses, little style variation. And did I mention repetitive choruses?

The Bottom Line:

It's not Steven's best

But there are still some good songs

That his fans will like

I Prefer Steven Curtis Chapman's Last Moment to This Moment

Steven Curtis Chapman is a legend in Christian music. This is his 16th studio release, which in a market that is becoming harder and harder is an accomplishment all by itself. I count myself among his loyal fans and have since I discovered him in the early 90's. Naturally, I rushed out and bought This Moment the day it came out. To be honest, the first couple spins disappointed me. But the more I've listened to it, it has grown on me.

Over the years, Steven has perfected a pop/rock sound that includes just a hint of bluegrass. With each release, he seems to be rockier, however, and this is the case here. Most of these tracks rock, with heavy guitar, his signature instrument, and heavy drums. In fact, he seems to have abandoned the increased use of piano he incorporated into his last release. My first complaint is that the songs sound a little too similar to me at times. More variety would have been good.

The second complaint is the repetitious choruses. I know what all of Steven's detractors (and he has plenty) are saying. "What took you so long to find this?" I know in the past he has repeated his chorus plenty of times, but here several of the choruses lack substance. Take one of the worst offenders, "You are Being Loved:"

You are being loved

You are being loved

Right now at this very moment

You are being loved

You are being loved

Right now at this very moment

Right now you are being loved, loved, loved

You are being loved, loved

You are

Now don't misunderstand. I agree with the theology of the song 100%. But couldn't you come up with something else to add, Steven? Throw in several more songs with somewhat repetitious choruses ("Yours" and "Broken" are only a little better then this one) and you get a repetitious release.

Taken individually, however, the songs are great.

Steven always opens his projects with a stirring anthem, and this disc is no exception. "Miracle of the Moment" is a mid tempo song that reminds us that right now is the only point in time we can do anything about. Nothing especially shocking, but it is a fun way to start things out.

"Broken" features driving drums for a reminder that every human on earth is a "well dressed wreck."

Over the last few years, Steven has really started to get involved with adoption. His new ministry focus has found its way into his music, and this disc is no exception, although the songs are not as pointed as previous ones have been. "Yours" is a weird combo. While it invokes images of the poor and needy, it is also a praise song that everything is God's. This is a slower anthem, which means little since almost every song is upbeat here. "Something Crazy" reminds us that God's love will call us to do things that the rest of the world will consider crazy. And you've got to love the crazy editing they did to this song on the bridge.

There are several pure praise songs here. The most fun of these is "Children of God." This one doesn't even pretend to be anything but a rocker. The song is more a call to praise, but as it reminds us of all God has done for us, it leads us to worship. It's got a catchy melody and the beat is fun to tap along to. Adding to the fun, Steven's son Caleb sings the second verse.

"With One Voice" closes out the disc. It's not the slow ballad he usually ends with, but another upbeat rocker. This one celebrates the unity that all believers in God have despite distance and language barriers. It starts with a slightly minor tone before switching to a major key for the rest of the song.

There are really only two slower songs on the disc. And they are both great. "Cinderella" is a fast ballad (if such a thing is possible). It's one of the few songs to really feature piano. It tells about a loving father/daughter relationship over the years from childhood to wedding. I predict that this song will become the go to song for the father/daughter dance during weddings for the next decade. It's a very sweet song and not so overly sentimental it makes me want to cry on the spot. I also find it the song most likely to get stuck in my head.

"One Heartbeat at a Time" is another ballad and the slowest song here. It's a song praising mothers for the time and effort they put into raising their kids. While you can hear piano in there, this is back to the guitar base that Steven loves so much. It's an absolutely beautiful song.

As you can see, there is plenty here I like. This Moment is not a bad release. It just isn't one of the truly spectacular releases Steven Curtis Chapman normally does.

CD Length: 47:16

Tracks:

1. Miracle of the Moment

2. Broken

3. Cinderella

4. Yours

5. Something Crazy

6. Children of God

7. One Heartbeat at a Time

8. My Surrender

9. You are Being Loved

10. Definition of Me

11. With One Voice