Keep The Faith Album Review
Keep The Faith by Brett Younker
Produced by: David Leonard, Brad King, & Collin Healer
Only Here To Worship You (Brett Younker, Josh Baldwin, Andy Cherry)
This felt reminiscent of my youth. Something about this song took me back to leading worship in my youth group at 16 years old. Great opening song for a worship service. The lyrics are vertically focused and put all the attention on the Lord. There are personal articles used but it’s in response to the goodness of God. The goodness of God, the bigness, the awe and wonder of who He is demands this kind of response from us. “I’m only here to worship you” is the appropriate personal response we should have as worshipers in His presence.
The bridge is a fantastic response to the chorus. A great bridge is the fruit of the chorus. When I reflect on the goodness of God my response is “I’m only here to worship you” and from that posture I am led into “All my days, all my life, let me be a sacrifice. Lord I live to lift You high. Bring glory to the name of Jesus Christ”. That statement is the fruit of a heart that is only here to worship the King.
The instrumentation is balanced and not overdone. It’s intentionally not getting in the way. The way a good waiter or gallery curator serves the person but doesn’t get in the way. The instrumentation is approachable and unique.
What A Worthy Name (Bede Benjamin-Korporaal, Brett Younker, Mitch Wong, Chidima Craig)
Immediately you will see this song as an Easter song but it is so much more. I had a moment with this song sitting in my office alone. What a worthy name is everything I want someone in my church singing. I want them singing it weekly, not just once a year for Easter. The bridge, the bridge, the bridge…people. Good Lord. When I say this thing is packed to the gills with rich and deep theology regarding who our King is, I can’t be any more literal.
The lyrics of this song are poetic without being unapproachable. It says what it should without all the pomp and circumstance of “trying too hard”. Verse one lays out the story of Christ coming to earth. It details his motives of love for all of humankind. “Salvation’s in Your blood” is such a simple line but it hit me very hard. Verse 2 tells the story of the resurrection and ends with an absolute missile. “The First, the Last, the Great I Am, Beginning and the End.”
Now for the bridge. I know it’s a bit cliché for my favorite part of a worship song to be the bridge but I will unapologetically shout into the microphone, “Sing that bridge again, and again, and again.” I don’t like to compare songs but this has the same vibe of one of the most well written bridges in worship song history, “What A Beautiful Name”. I know what I am saying here, I am the one typing it, but I stand ten toes down on that statement. This bridge will not let up.
There is a really cool pattern in this bridge. Line one is a statement of who God is or what He does, the second line is the result of the third line.
First line: On Your head, the victor’s crown
Second line: Hell retreats and heaven shouts
Third line: At the name, the name of Jesus
First line: Risen king of righteousness
Second line: Knees will bow and tongues confess
Third line: At the name, the name of Jesus
First line: On this rock the church will stand
Second line: Songs of joy will rise again
Third line: At the name, the name of Jesus
First line: Christ will reign forevermore
Second line: All the saints and angels roar
Third line: At the name, the name of Jesus
Look, I like this song and it’s a certified worship banger and you better not just file this under Easter songs. This is an every week song that congregations need to be singing. It’s Biblically based and full of sound doctrine and tells the story of Christ’s death and resurrection and the completed work of the cross. What more do you want? One little note that I appreciate, the ending of the song is teed up for a low chorus. From a worship leader at a local church, this is a small choice but it’s very thoughtful. It almost feels like this recording wants to keep going.
Side note to this song, Brett is channeling mid-nineties Michael W. Smith vocals and I want it. As a child of “Give Me Love” and “Friends Are Friends Forever” I need this vocal in my life all week long. Also the backing vocals on this song are just perfect. Production on this song does not get in the way or try to make itself the focus. I can pick out each individual instrument and would have no issue handing this song to our worship team. Thank you for not laying me out with a wall of sound.
Holy & Pleasing (Amanda Cook, Austin Davis, Brett Younker, Mia Fields)
The end of this song got me real, real, real emotional. Please do this song in church. Yes it’s an incredible quiet time song, yes it’s intimate, yes it has a lot of words, but songs like this need to be done in services to give people a moment to reflect. I don’t know if they will sing every word, but they need these lyrics to wash over them and have a moment in service where they consider just how good it is to lay our life down for the Lord.
Practically, this song works a multitude of different ways. If you have a small team, do this song stripped down and simple. Much how the song starts. If you have a full band, it builds into an incredible full band experience. You can also tag a number of songs with this chorus and this bridge.
Songs fall into a handful of categories for me. Songs of prayer, reflection, remembrance, and repentance are some of the most important songs our congregations need to be singing. While these lyrics feel incredibly personal they do not exclude the group from participating. This prayer is straight from scripture and unifies the room under the umbrella of sacrifice and dedication to the calling of Christ. This is a sleeper song on the album and is definitely a favorite of mine.
This is my own take on the end of the song. Just my thoughts and where the Lord has taken me in the last few years. The end of the song is joyful. It’s birds chirping, it’s people and kids laughing. Sacrifice and submission to the Lord brings joy to our lives. Those two words in most contexts don’t make you think that but in the kingdom of God, the joy of the Lord is our strength. That joy comes from submitting to HIS ways and HIS commands. The strength is not man’s strength, it’s protection. Only from a place of submission and sacrifice do we abide under the wing of the Almighty. True joy is found in the place of laying down all we hold dear and valuable to us.
Fall Like Rain (Zahriya Zachary, Bede Benjamin-Korporaal, Beau Maddox, Brett Younker)
What can I say about this song? I love the treatment it got in Brett’s version. I love the Passion version but this version feels more intimate. I’m drawn in from the second I hear the first note sung. When I think of songs I want people singing at the end of a worship set, this checks a lot of boxes. The tone and lyrical content is awe and reverence. Sure, there are personal articles and personal references but much like the first track from this review, it’s a reminder to all of us why we are worshiping in song form in the first place. The purpose is to place all attention, focus and honor on the Lord.
“May I never lose the wonder of Your presence.
May I always stand in awe of who You are.
The beauty and gift of Your friendship is unlike anything I’ve ever known.”
That is how you use personal articles in a song that is vertically focused.
This song really only has two lyrical sections. The chorus and the verse section which makes it perfect for weaving in and out of your worship sets. Our 9am service only has time for three songs but sometimes 3 songs are not enough. I can easily tag either the verse or the chorus of this song onto my song 3 and extend what would be a set that’s too short to a set length that’s just right. If you are a church with a smaller team, this song works incredibly well stripped down. Keys, acoustic, and percussion will one hundred percent work. That is the beauty of a simple and well written worship song. It works in a small environment context as well as a massive room.
The Lord Will Provide (Brett Younker, Jesse Cates, Chris Davenport)
I’ve heard and led this song about a hundred times. It’s a tried and true workhorse in our church. I don’t have to tell you that it’s a great song. I love the treatment of this version. It has a ton of room in the mix and a few cool additions to the instrumentation. I especially love the little pushes heading into the chorus sections. I also love the chord additions to the bridge. It adds a fresh take on the original.
I’ve studied this song over the last few weeks and it’s a fantastic congregational song. The range of the notes is extremely comfortable for a congregation. There’s no octave jump and the melody is incredibly simple for anyone to grab ahold of. This gets an A+ from the standpoint of being accessible to any congregation. As a Texas native I love the southern seasoning that is on this song. It feels like home for me and our church always has a blast when we use it in our weekend services.
The Lamb’s Book of Life (Brett Younker, Bede Benjamin-Korporaal, Andy Cherry, Anna Golden)
I had to google whether this song was a hymn that was being covered. I actually had to go type that out because I thought it was a 100-year-old hymn. It is not. Also, Anna Golden…There should be a warning label on this song because of the way you sing. If you are a hymnal purist, you need to sprint to this song. I am an emotional human. It doesn’t take much to get me crying. This song did it pretty easily. I lost my dad and my mother-in-law in a 4-month span and when I heard the lyrics:
“Oh what Glory, to behold
When I gaze upon the throne
AND All the saints who've gone before
Lay their crowns on heaven's floor.”
I couldn’t help but imagine both of them in the presence of the Lord. I pray that people do this song in their services. I pray that people listen to this song intentionally and consider what this life is all about. There are so many things that distract us and compete for our time and attention. It’s all for Jesus. The lyrics we ask people to sing in church matter. People remember melodies and worship lyrics a lot more than they remember sermon points. Putting the right lyrics and the right songs in people’s minds and hearts is a privilege. We should consider the weight of our decisions related to the songs we sing.
Yes, I like the song. I think that’s apparent but what I really love is the message that it conveys to people attending our services. There are so many lyrics in this song that I could reference. This is another verse that is profound:
“Not by merit, not by might
Only by the blood of Christ
My name is written in
The Lamb's book of life”
This is an important song and do not be distracted by the title. This is a song that the lost and saved need to be singing. The idea of every worship song needing to be relatable to sinners and saints alike is not necessary regarding this song. It’s the story of salvation for the sinner, it’s a reminder of why we are here for the born again. This is my favorite song on the album.
No Body (Pat Barrett, Brett Younker, Jason Ingram, Steven Furtick)
Before you listen to this version, listen to The Lamb’s Book of Life and let them play back-to-back. The experience is completely different. These two songs marry incredibly well with one another. I knew about this song before reviewing this album but had not heard the version that Elevation released. I am very glad I was able to experience this song in this form, first. Again, with some practical things, this song is a tag machine. You can tag the opening section which is technically the bridge or you can tag the chorus section. Heck, if you’re feeling really anointed, tag both!
I know this is technically a studio record, but it feels like the whole thing was played live. It’s very natural in the way it’s presented from one song to the next. Each song feels intentionally placed in the album order. Indulge me on one old man point for a second, listen to this album in order. I know you will be tempted to listen to your favorite song or the song that’s on the radio but I really enjoyed listening to this from start to finish. We don’t listen to albums like we used to, people! Please, just for me, one time, listen to it from the first song to the last song.
Keep The Faith (Brett Younker, Jesse Early, Brian Elmquist)
There is a consistent theme I see throughout this whole album. Brett keeps the main thing the main thing. It’s not the Sunday school answer of Jesus. It’s what we are called to. Each song I have listened to continually reminds me of what I am on this earth to do. What salvation demands of me. What being a disciple of Christ costs me and that the cost is worth it. I have several moments sitting here at my desk where several small things I have been wrestling with are put into perspective. The cost of salvation is nothing, the cost of relationship with Jesus is everything. Accepting Christ as my savior is the starting line. I am not on this earth to push my agenda forward or make sure all my goals are achieved. My purpose in this life is to live a life worthy of the calling of Christ. To seek Him every day. To put my hope and trust in Him.
This song is the perfect capstone to this message. The charge is for us to keep the faith. This lyric in the verse is a really good example of that:
“One foot in front of the other
With you step by step
Lord You brought me this far
And You’re not finished yet
I give You my whole life
A sacrifice of praise
No matter what it costs me
I’ll keep the faith.”
“No matter what it costs me” is a sobering reminder that I am called to give up everything to follow Christ. No matter where He leads, I will follow. I need you to hear me when I say this next part. You are going to listen to this song and you might have an itch to think, “This is a cool artist song, but I’m not sure it’s for the weekend.” I am going to ask you to imagine something with me for a second. Imagine an entire room of people on Sunday morning singing:
“Till Your kingdom comes or You call me home.
Till that final day, when I see Your face, I’ll keep the faith.”
Tell me that’s not an insane image. I am not trying to sell it. I am trying to help you open your mind to what is important regarding what people sing.
“I’ll keep pressing on. I’ll keep pressing on. Till Your kingdom comes.”
The production of the song is unique and beautiful and on the surface it might feel like a challenge to duplicate in your services, but don’t let that distract from the greater thing that’s happening. This song edifies the saints. It helps us to encourage one another and remind one another what we are here to do. This is the common thread in this album. KEEP THE FAITH!!!!!
It’s no mistake that this song is the capstone to the album. It’s the theme of these songs. No matter what comes. No matter the cost. No matter what I have to leave behind, I will keep the faith.
Worship songs are important. Lyrics are important.
Songs communicate theology, history, liturgy, beliefs, moments in time, and values. There are probably way more things I could list, but my point is, this song says something that our churches need. A simple reminder of what we all signed up for. A reminder of what we were saved from. A reminder of what lies ahead.
Additional Thoughts:
Brett, well done. The album is pastoral. It’s a well-balanced plate at the dinner table of the Lord. The album has depth and intentionality. It feels like you considered the local church, which I believe you did. I follow your social accounts and you are extremely active in your local church and these songs feel in line with what I see. I am thankful to review this album. I am thankful to hear these songs and to sit with them. To all the writers that were a part of this project, thank you for your blood, sweat and tears that went into making these songs the best they could be. As I said in many of the breakdowns, these songs are accessible with a very good dose of theology. They are poetic without forgetting the common man or woman in the room. I look forward to introducing many of these at my church and telling other churches and pastors about them. I pray that the Lord blesses you in ways you cannot imagine. I pray that the time you put into this project is multiplied back to you. I am thankful for your gifts. I don’t have a rating system for my reviews. This is a good album with good songs that should be sung in church.
Production notes:
To the team of producers…thank you for stewarding these songs well. The production serves the song. These are songs that can be reproduced in a multitude of ways. Everything from acoustic versions to full band environments with all the production bells and whistles. The mix is never overwhelming. I can pick out individual instruments throughout every single song. The mixing and mastering are spot on and never fatigued my ear even at high volumes. To the musicians who played on this album, thank you. Great parts never go out of style. Parts that serve the song are the best kind of parts you can play.