Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: 6 new songs for when trouble comes
Cons: All cons too disordered to identify
The Bottom Line:
Songs for disorder
Facing pain, offering hope
Wonderful music
Finding God in Disorder
When Jason Gray hit upon the idea of releasing three EP’s
around the theme of Order, Disorder, Reorder, he could not have foreseen what
the world would be facing now. The
release date for part two, Disorder, was set months ago (like the middle
of last year) to come out the second half of March 2020. Our world is certainly facing disorder right
now, which makes the truths of these songs so timely.
The idea behind these three releases is that God uses a
cycle of order, disorder, and then reorder to grow us and mature us. The songs on each release focus on one of
those times in our lives, and, as I said, we are now in the second part of the
cycle.
This start off with a bit of an ominous note in the opening
moments of “Through,” but the song quickly reminds us about Who it is who is
going to get us through the mountains that we are facing. The song acknowledges that the hard times
will be painful, but our focus needs to be on God. It’s got a driving beat that makes you want
to take on those mountains that God will help us through.
Next up is “Remind Me You’re Here,” a radio friendly song
that is a prayer of simple faith while begging for God’s presence in the
pain. It struggles a bit with the whys,
but ultimately goes back to “I won’t ask you for a reason/’Cause reasons can’t
wipe away tears.” That’s something I
need to remember in my life more often than I care to admit.
“Honesty” is the perfect title for the next song. This song takes a cue for the many psalms
David wrote that express his pain and hurt.
The opening lines of the song perfectly capture the balance the lyrics
walk. “If I told you I still trust
You/I’d honestly be lying through my teeth/But it’s funny how it’s always
You/I’m talking to when I say I don’t believe.”
That’s some honesty for myself right there. As Jason asks in the chorus, “Are You sure
you want everything/Even my honesty?” If
this was a dark song musically, I’m not sure it would work so well, but the
melody and mid-tempo beat help offset the darker tone of the lyrics.
“Fight for You” is the truth we need when our life is in
Disorder. It’s the reminder that God
fights for us no matter what we are facing, so we need to wait on Him.
Bianca joins Jason on “New Song.” We are definitely moving through the valley
to hope as we look for God’s new mercies that come every morning. This is a toe tapping, head bobbing number.
This EP ends with “Hard Times Prelude.” A teaser of sorts, it’s only about a minute
long. I have a feeling we will get a
longer version of the song on Reorder since the lyrics here are a reflection
on the growth that happens through the hard times.
All of these lyrics are combined perfectly with Jason’s soft
rock style. They are easy to listen to
as the truths of the lyrics encourage your heart.
The disc really does divide nicely in two, expressing the
pain and reminding us of the truths we need when we are facing Disorder. The combination works well. There is not a weak track on this disc. I’ve always enjoyed Jason’s music, but with
this cycle of EP’s, he seems to have reached a new level with his song writing.
I’ve put this disc on repeat and listened to it for hours at
a time since I got it. Even when life
once again moves beyond this particular Disorder, I will be savoring the
songs here. If you need some
encouragement in your life, I highly recommend you check out this release.
CD Length: 20:42
Tracks:
1. Through
2. Remind Me You’re Here
3. Honesty
4. Fight for You
5. New Song (Featuring Bianca)
6. Hard Time Prelude
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