NewSong - Give Yourself Away

Producer:  Charlie Peacock
Record Label:  HHM Records
Website:  http://www.newsongonline.com

One could easily say that NewSong has officially come full-circle.  The pop band has had a varied and extremely successful career over the last 28 years.  They’ve managed to rack up 20 #1 songs, a #1 Mainstream hit song (“The Christmas Shoes”), a Grammy nomination, and annual tour that ranks among the biggest of any genre (Winter Jam).  In addition, after much respected and talented lead singer Russ Lee left the group to pursue a solo career - the band had a hard time keeping a lead singer.  The band saw many capable vocalists fill in - including Michael O’Brien, Nate Sallie, Clay Crosse, and Charles Billingsley among others - but none stuck longer than a couple years.  The group recently saw the return of the talented Lee this year and are back with a new release.  Give Yourself Away is the first major studio album from the band since 2003’s More Life.  Give Yourself Away just picks up where that last album left off (the group did release a live worship record and another Christmas album since that record) - a collection of AC-friendly power-pop that the band is known for.  The biggest thing this album has going for it is Lee’s impressive vocals.  As talented as all those fill-ins were - none of them fulfilled the “sound” of NewSong like Russ Lee does.  He’s back and it just feels right again.  Songs like “Give Yourself Away,” “Hope,” and “The Beauty of Our God” all have that epic NewSong pop sound - but also not too different than typical AC-friendly bands like MercyMe, Casting Crowns, or Big Daddy Weave.  The record also features its share of Inspirational ballads like “That’s What Mercy Is,” “Thousand Steps,” and World Vision inspired “Ever Child Deserves a Home.”  The band does show a slight edge on “Magnet” - a sure to be crowd pleaser for their upcoming Winter Jam tour.  The album highlights come in the more worship oriented numbers such as “Song of Songs” and “God Hears.”  Overall, there’s not a whole lot of change coming from the band - even now 6 years after their last studio effort.  It’s great to hear Lee back with the popular band - but surely time away would have gained some more musical influences to bring back along with him.  Give Yourself Away isn’t a bad album, it’s just already been done before and better by this band (see 1997’s phenomenal Love Revolution or 1996’s People Get Ready).  It’s a nice album, but not much more can be said about it.

Track listing:
1. Hope
2. That’s What Mercy Is
3. Too Wonderful
4. Give Yourself Away
5. Magnet
6. Song of Songs
7. God Hears
8. Thousand Steps
9. The Beauty of Our God
10. First Day On Earth
11. Every Child Deserves a Home