Beauty Will Rise - Steven Curtis Chapman

Steven Curtis Chapman has been playing Christian music for over twenty years now, releasing almost two dozen albums and acquiring the outstanding amount of 45 1# hits. Known for his uplifting lyrics and energetically praiseful melodies, the artist’s newest offering takes to a different, but not necessarily bad, sound. Being the first project since the heart breaking death of his youngest daughter Maria, “Beauty Will Rise” is a collection of what he calls, his “psalms since the tragedy on May 21st.” From doubt and pain, to faith and trust, the conflicting feelings of his personal journey through this grief make up a large portion of the material here.

The first song, “Heaven is the Face” could be one of the most emotional song I’ve ever heard, with tear-jerking verses and an astounding chorus, this was chosen lead single for a reason. The follow-up is a lengthy, but nice title track that again, keeps the focus on hope even in sorrow, and though it’s mellow acoustic styling may sound foreign to longtime listeners, it is perfect for the words and even the CD as a whole. “SEE” would have to be one of my favorites, written from Steven’s perspective as he sees the little 5-year-old saying to him: See/it’s everything you said that it would be/and even better than you would believe/and I’m counting down the days/until you’re here with me/and finally you’ll see. Later on, he reveals the story of February 20th 2008, the day she gave life to the Lord, only three months before she would see him for herself. The bluntness of the song could be taken as a mistake, but it only adds to the realness of the moment itself, and it is a touching addition to the disc. While there is a lot of sadness abroad in this music, as it goes on, more and more hope related themes start to pop up. “Jesus Will Meet You There” is the best on this element, and could be one of the most accessible pieces of this effort, and maybe even his career as I’ve heard it.

So what can I say that I haven’t yet said. This probably isn’t what most fans will be expecting from the seasoned performer, but it is what should be excepted after such a difficult time he been through. Sounding more mature with every project, this is the one I think everyone has been waiting for, and it’s inevitably the best innovation of an artist I’ve have ever heard. If I have ever heard, ‘amazing’, that this fits the mold to a tee. This is just plain great music, from top to bottom. ~ Christian Lingner

4 of 5 stars