JourneyOnline
Take My Life
By Garage Hymnal
Emu Music Australia
RRP $29.95
Garage Hymnal’s debut CD is an “impressive” contribution to the worship song repertoire available to the Australian Christian church for a number of reasons.
Take My Life is a collective work with its origins in 2004 in the band assembled for Sydney University’s Evangelical Union Annual Conference.
The attractively packaged CD makes the right connections with the young adult age group and the CD owner can access the band website (www.garagehymnal.com) and downloaded lead sheets and piano arrangements for the 13 worship songs.
“Impressive” describes the diversity of scripture used as the basis for most of the songs. Unlike some other ‘stables’ for contemporary worship songs in Australia, Garage Hymnal are prepared to tap into a broader range of scripture.
“Impressive” is the range of styles from distorted, ‘grungy’ rockers to reflective acoustic guitar-backed ballads.
Similarly impressive is the opportunity to sing some full-on songs in the “Hillsong United” or “Planet Shakers” style which express through the use of “we” and “us” what it means to be a community of Christ, not just a collection of individual believers.
If your congregation is blessed with a thriving rock-band or you simply want some new music to encourage your young people, Take My Life offers something quite “impressive”.
David MacGregor (Indooropilly Uniting Church) is one of Australia’s leading church music specialists. Visit David’s website at www.togethertocelebrate.com.au
