Leeland's move from straight ahead rock to straight up worship music succeeds more often than not.

Leeland
The Great Awakening
11/54:11
Provident

For starters, The Great Awakening is much more of a “worship music” album than the straight ahead rock of Leeland’s precious output.  Younger sister Shelly Mooring joins brothers Leeland and Jack this time around.  At times, the lyrics make it obvious that we are dealing with missionary kids that have spent time preaching and teaching Christ in faraway places. 

The aim here seems to be U2/Coldplay/Gungor type of anthemic worship tunes, with the results being hit and miss.  “I Wonder” would be the pick of the litter here, although those who are Hillsong fans will jump for “All Over the Earth.”  Give the band credit – they still manage to keep their own sound for the most part, unlike predecessors Chris Tomlin and Delirious? (especially the latter).

“Pages” is probably the tune that speaks most to me, depicting life as the story we write, and how each page of that story will be reviewed at some point.  (So I’m reviewing a song about a review contained in the pages of my life, which will be reviewed?  I feel like I’m in Inception!)

Like most worship style albums, this will hit some square in the heart and conscience.  Others will be turned off by the repetitive nature of the genre, and the trend in Christian music towards this area.  I fall into both camps a lot of the time, but The Great Awakening succeeds a lot more often that it falls short.