Response

Phil Wickham remains one of the most compelling voices in Christian music, giving an almost operatic sense of grandeur to pop/rock material. Wickham brings a personal touch to these songs, managing to make each prayerful lyric sound like a personal testimony as well as an invitation to corporate worship. Veteran producer Brown Bannister (Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, Third Day) comes onboard to help Wickham and his longtime studio partner Pete Kipley expand the album’s sonic range and scope. Full-throttle upbeat tunes like “Heaven Fall Down” and “This Is the Day” celebrate faith in bold, immediate terms. The a cappella opening to “One God” kicks off a track boasting hook-laden, classic pop melodies. <i>Response</i> uses dynamic arrangements to capture an unfolding sense of spiritual yearning and surrender; “Sun and Moon” is especially compelling in its slowly rising intensity. Wickham’s finest vocal moments come in “The Victory”, an account of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection offered with the intimacy of a hushed prayer before it builds to a triumphant conclusion.