Phil Wickham - Heaven & Earth

Who exactly is Phil Wickham? For the majority of people who are not well versed in machinations of contemporary Christian music this is an excusable question. Right, for those who have already mentally switched off at the prospect of listening to such an album it is time to wake up, now. While it is true that this San Diegan’s third major label release may be a practice in vertical worship (the addressing of songs towards God) it should not be easily dismissed by unbelievers, like me, for there is a lot to shout about.

The running theme throughout Heaven & Earth is the singer’s longing to have the close relationship with God that Man once had before his expulsion from Eden. The fact that Phil Wickham is able to put all of this across without a hint of cliché or the will to convert underlies one of his true strengths. For although the lyrics he writes are all religiously based, many are still highly transferable to other people and situations without losing the main message of love. This is not the case with the songs that make direct references to biblical events such as Genesis (‘Eden’) and the Rapture (‘Your Arrival’), but with the artist’s wide range of musical influence this is forgivable and they actually end up among the record’s strongest tracks.

The aforementioned ‘Your Arrival’, a song about a group intently waiting for the Rapture with wide-eyed expectation, stands as a highlight. For alongside the highly religious context is a track that heavily borrows from the new-wave and Britpop movements that culminate in this, as well as many others, sounding like a hybrid of The Killers and Coldplay (more specifically the A Rush of Blood To The Head era).

The main criticism of this album lies with the track ‘Because of Your Love’. The slow tempo of the song remains unjustified thanks to the lack of interesting accompaniment and, consequentially, it really jars with the rest of the album. This slight disappointment precedes a hidden gem, the penultimate track ‘Cielo’, where gamelan music is fused with ethereal strings producing a beautifully other-worldly song touching on feelings of inadequacy on being unable to quite reach God.

Do not let the fact that this is a Christian vertical worship album discourage you from at least sampling a few of the tracks. With his impressive voice and a track listing that spans genres Heaven & Earth stands as one of the most uplifting albums that has been released in a good while, be you theist or non-theist, and as such is worth a listen.

‘Heaven & Earth’ is available now for streaming on Spotify and is released physically on Monday.

Add Comment

You must log in to submit a comment.