Music review: Message for Change

9th September 2010 by Nathaniel Brown

Message for Change is here!!! A project of the Social Justice department in our territory, it's a 12 track album that is, literally, a message for change.

It's an eclectic mix of songs that have been written and produced by Aussie Salvos, plus a handful of songs that have been donated by US bands The Radiance Effect, Aaron Hale, and Anberlin.

Musically, it's pretty diverse but mostly geared to a 15-35 age bracket. It's hard to box it in to one genre, but on the whole, it is guitar-driven rock with a bit of indie-acoustic in there too, which balances it out pretty well.

Big shout outs to local Salvos Lucas Cairns, Thelma Stace, Paul Farthing, and Claire Twivey for repping our territory with some primo tunes that hold their own alongside big name contributors.

I love the consistency of the message that comes across song after song. There aren't just token references to social justice; it's an honest look at the global community we live in and a way to ask ourselves what we should be doing.

My two fave songs on the album are Release, an earnest and cruisy tune with a real catchy chorus, and Got a Lot to Give, an honest and humble cry to be overtaken with Christ-like love.

The welfare of the poor, the broken, and the isolated seriously matters to God, and the proof is in the pudding. There are over 300 verses in the Bible concerning the poor, and if we are dead-set about following Jesus then what matters to him, will matter to us.

Message for Change is not just a sweet CD of songs designed to take up space in your iTunes library ... for some it's a soundtrack to the gospel they're already living out, for others it will be a wake-up call to get busy and do something.

One of Anberlin's contributions responds to the social justice call beautifully: "I want to die for something higher than myself ... this life's not about me."

Message for Change is available to purchase online. All profits go to The Salvation Army's Courtyard Legal service.

By Nate Brown

Comments

Aaron Hale

January 04, 2011 at 9:16pm

I never donated anything.... lolz to find my name but not my name on a Salvo Website ..... Should say something like THAT AMAZING AARON HALE.....

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