Lord, this is our song: You’d awaken the hearts of Your people. We would repent and turn to You once again. Your Spirit cries, “Oh, come alive!”
And yes, this is our prayer: That the church would rise into her destiny. That through Your body a broken land would be set free. So, we proclaim, yes we proclaim.
That we were made for such a time as this, when every knee will bow and tongue confess Jesus Christ for who He really is. Revival! Revival!
And so begins the latest album from The Neverclaim entitled Quietdown. It is simply a short intro to the first track, Revival, but I was hooked. I came across the two song EP thanks to Come & Live (a great site BTW - and you can’t beat the price; free!). That said, it didn’t long to head on over to iTunes and pick this gem up in its entirety.
It is becoming more rare in today’s day and age to have an album that is excellent from start to finish. This is not one of those albums. It is quality throughout. But just who exactly is The Neverclaim? From their website:
The Neverclaim was birthed out of a desire to see people come to a real encounter with God that would inspire life change. “When people encounter God they can’t help but be faced with two realities. 1) I am loved far beyond what I have ever imagined. 2) This love is worth giving all of myself to. This band wishes to lose claim of our lives and surrender our purpose to God,” says lead singer and songwriter Jeremiah Carlson. “We truly see our music simply as a tool to inspire a generation to live powerful, selfless lives inspired by intimacy with God.”
Musically speaking, Quietdown covers a wide spectrum of sounds and should appeal to a wide audience, but one thing is clear, this is worship. Jeremiah Carlson has one of those voices that simply grabs you. I’m not a big fan of making comparisons, but I’ll do it anyway (don’t you hate when people do that - I digress). Think Phil Wickham mixed with Daughtry. I found when listening that these songs were not for me they were for someone far bigger. This was an offering to the Lord.
Lyrically speaking, Quietdown is brilliant. For me personally, there are few artists that can make me feel so loved by God - but - for the right reason - that I may make much of Him. God is the giver, the gift, and the goal of the gospel. This is the message of Quietdown. These songs, ultimately, are God-centered. For example:
Overwhelmed
Wonderful, beautiful Savior, how lovely is the grace that brings us favor. And I am overwhelmed. And I am taken. Here I stand before You, I give myself. In this love before You, I lose myself. Powerful, glorious Savior, I’m caught up in the grace that brings me favor. And I am overwhelmed. And I am taken. I am taken by the things that You have done.
I am Redeemed
Kiss Your feet, as brokenness runs down my cheek, may these tears be a sweet offering to You. Incomplete, so incomplete, yet declarations over me from the Eternal Son, “ Redeemed, Redeemed, Redeemed.” In my darkness You hold me close, and You promise me You’d never let go, my heart burns for You oh! I am redeemed! I receive redemptive work done deep in me, until this heart is fully given unto You. So please proceed Your kingdom reigning over me, because who I am right now is not who I’ll fully be. I find it hard to use these words, to fully describe Your deep, deep work. So I will pour out my heart to You and sing this song for You.
I could write them all, but hopefully this will entice you enough to go and pick this one up for yourself. I highly recommend this album. It is one of the best I have come across in quite some time, and for those that know me ~ that is saying a lot. Quietdown closes with the title track. After listening, I did “quiet down”. In fact, I was speechless. My mind was instantly brought to Zephaniah 3:17...
“The LORD you God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
Love in the Truth.
