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Monday, October 24, 2022

Music Review: Still by Stephen Curtis Chapman

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Many good songs about life with God
Cons: Several songs don’t work for me
The Bottom Line:
Steven shares new songs
Plenty for fans to enjoy
Not all work for me



Steven Curtis Chapman is Still Creating Good Music

It’s been a few years since we got a release of new music from Steven Curtis Chapman.  Since I’ve been a fan for decades, I was excited to see he was releasing Still.  While this isn’t his best, fans will definitely appreciate it.

And fans will know what to expect here.  We’ve got guitar driven pop and ballads here.  He’s even snuck in an anthem or two.  I hesitate to say that this is fully soft rock, although he does have some upbeat tracks here.  But it’s definitely slower and quieter overall than his stuff from the 90’s and early 2000’s.  That’s been a trend I’ve noticed from him recently, and it continues here.

And he is still producing some great lyrics.  The disc opens with “Welcome Back to Wonder,” a short song about experiencing the majesty of the world God has created.  It leads right into “Still.”  And I mean that literally.  There is a second between them, but the transition is so flawless musically that you might think they are the same song if you aren’t paying close attention.  The song is about still following God despite the trials of life and how God is still working on us.  I really like the truths of the song, and it’s a great anthem.

For me, other highlights include “Don’t Lose Heart,” a song of encouragement from one friend to another going through hard times.  “I’m Alive,” is another upbeat song that embraces the pains and joys of life.  “Running After You” is about God’s amazing love for us, and “Unfixables” is about trusting God even with the things in life that hurt.

These are mostly the more upbeat songs on the disc.  I find the slower songs to be hit or miss.  Honestly, I often find that Steven’s slower songs don’t always work for me.  Yes, he’s written some great ones, but this is an overall impression.  I really did like “Where Else Could I Go,” which he wrote with his sons.  “Love Now” is a good reminder to love because you don’t know how much time you really have.  And his wife was a co-writer on that one.  However, “Kindness” and “A Desperate Benediction (Peace on Earth)” don’t really work for me.  The second one is definitely too slow.  I get that they are supposed to be aspirations, but they come across a bit more like lectures.  Then again, maybe that’s a sign of where my heart is right now.  “Trying to Get Back Home” is nice, but it doesn’t quite work for me either.

The slowest song is “Living Color,” a song about Steven’s Jr. High best friend Carlton.  It wades into some interesting waters.  It took a bit of time to grow on me, but I have come to like it.  I definitely appreciate what he was going for with it.

It’s nice to get some new music from Steven Curtis Chapman.  I suspect some of my issues with the disc will be personal taste and where I am in my life right now.  But the songs I like are very good.  As I said earlier, fans will definitely be thrilled to get their hands on Still.

CD Length: 43:10
Tracks:
1. Welcome Back to Wonder
2. Still
3. Don’t Lose Heart
4. I’m Alive
5. Kindness
6. Running After You
7. Unfixables
8. Love Now
9. Where Else Could I Go
10. A Desperate Benediction (Pease on Earth)
11. Living Color
12. Trying to Get Back Home

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