Music Review: Leaving Eden by Brandon Heath

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Uplifting songs about life outside of Eden.

Cons: None

The Bottom Line: 

Focus is on God

As we deal with the world

Outside of Eden





Brandon Heath Finds Faith to Help Him Leave Eden

When I picked up Brandon Heath's third project, I was expecting something hard hitting about the realities of life.  What else would you expect from a disc entitled Leaving Eden?  While Brandon does touch on that some, he spends most of the time focusing on God, His love for us, and how we can make a difference in the world around us.

The disc opens with "Leaving Eden," and it is the one song on the disc that does talk about how hard life can be.  Over the course of the verses, he mentioned Alzheimer's, a Salvation Army store being robbed, natural disaster, and war.  Yeah, real upbeat stuff.  So it is actually a surprise that the song is on the fast side of mid-tempo with a soaring melody that makes it much less depressing then you think it would be.

But Brandon immediately changes focus with the second track.  "Your Love" is the first single from the disc, and it's a winner.  It's at once a song of praise and surrender to God for His great love for us.  Again, it's on the mid-tempo side of things with a melody that is very catchy.  This one will be very popular on the radio.

Actually, God's love and care for us are the theme of several of the other songs on this disc.  "It's Alright" is a piano and string based ballad that uses images from Jesus' life to remind us He always have things under control.  "Stolen," one of my favorites on this disc, talks about God's relentless pursuit of those He calls His own.  And for pure fun, there's "Might Just Save Your Life."  This song is written from God's point of view as He rescues someone who was in a desperate situation.  This song is pure rock with a tad of hip hop thrown in.  Frankly, it reminds me most of "Give Me Your Eyes" from his last CD.

The other theme on the disc is how we are to respond to the world around us as a result of knowing God's love.  The theme is introduced early in "The Light in Me," but it really starts to be driven home at the end of the disc.  "It's No Good to be Alone" is written to a friend who has withdrawn from life.  Verse one sounds like someone hiding due to depression while verse two is someone so busy perusing a dream they lose track of everyone around them.  The chorus is a tad on the repetitive side as it repeats the title several times, but the fun melody always makes me forget that fact.  In fact, this is the song I am most likely to find myself humming after I listen to the disc.

"The One" goes beyond our friends to look at those struggling around us.  But it doesn't end with the verses detailing the hardships around us.  The chorus is a call to action.  "If it takes just one, just one/What if, what if, what if I'm the one."

The final track looks forward to the hope of Heaven.  "As Long as I'm Here" is a slow ballad that dreams of how great the day will be when we can return to Eden.  While he doesn't quite put it that bluntly, it certainly does bring the disc full circle.

Stylistically, Brandon is still in the mostly guitar driven pop/rock he's done so well on his first two discs.  There isn't too much new to his sound, but his fans will certainly be happy with what they hear.

Leaving Eden might not be a huge step forward musically for Brandon Heath, but the songs here are still great.  His many fans will be pleased with it and it might just win him some new ones as well.

CD Length: 43:41

Tracks:

1. Leaving Eden

2. Your Love

3. The Light in Me

4. Only Water

5. Stolen

6. Might Just Save Your Life

7. It's Alright

8. It's No Good to be Alone

9. Now More Than Ever

10. The One

11. As Long as I'm Here