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Artist: Steven Curtis Chapman
Title: Beauty Will Rise
Website: www.stevencurtischapman.com
Style: Contemporary/ Praise & Worship
Label: Sparrow Records
Rating: 8.9 out of 10
By C.W. Ross
To list all of Steven Curtis Chapman's accolades would fill up many pages. He's had a 20 years plus recording career, releasing 20 albums (16 -studio albums, including two Christmas albums, several collections of greatest hits, and one live album); He's also a producer, actor, humanitarian, an advocate for children and probably what would be at the top of his list, Husband and proud father.
The proud father part is what makes this album so touching and heart wrenching. Beauty Will Rise is a collection of 12 songs that Chapman created in the past 18 months that includes the very dark period in his life when his youngest daughter, five-year-old Maria Sue Chunxi Chapman, was killed in a tragic accident on May 21, 2008, when she was accidentally hit by her brother who was pulling into the driveway of their home in Franklin, Tennessee.
The songs found on this release I think worked as a music therapy for Chapman to get all of the bottled up feelings that were inside of him out. The songs found on this release deal mostly with Maria and are packed with loving emotion from a father that will bring a tear to your eye.
Like the different stages that are involved in the grieving process this release goes through several phase that include, grief, wrestling with faith, hope for the future, and continuing to praise God even in tough times.
While Beauty Will Rise is based around tragedy, the message that it delivers is that as true believers we must stand strong and even though tragic events might shake our faith to the core we need to realize that God is still with us and in control. Also that it's okay to ask God the tough questions about why did something so bad have to happen as long as we understand that we're only seeing a very small piece of the picture while God has the master view of our life plan.
The music found on Beauty Will Rise is mostly acoustic and left uncluttered by over use of instrumentation, except for some added string parts that add richness to several of the songs. Instead the soul searching, passionate vocals are left to trumpet forth the messages of the songs.
The first song, "Heaven Is the Face," talks about the joy and peace that's found in heaven and Chapman's trusting God to take care of his daughter, while longing for the day when he'll gets to be with her again. This song is also the album's lead single so you've probably been hearing it on the radio.
Track-2, "Beauty Will Rise," while I'm not positive I think it deals with the 7.9-magnitude earthquake that hit China on May 12, 2008 while the Chapman's were visiting there. While the family was located on the other side of the country and didn't feel anything, once they found out about it they immediately started praying for the people that were in it.
Later that year while back in China for the opening of Maria's Big House of Hope, a special needs orphan care facility named in Maria's honor, the picture used for the cover of Beauty Will Rise was taken. The picture shows Chapman standing on a huge rock inside the earthquake zone while behind him is shown a portion of the ruins and landslides left behind from the massive quake.
Track-3, "SEE," and track-4, "Just Have to Wait," both talk about waiting for the day when Chapman gets to sing and dance again with his daughter Maria, this time a dance that will never end.
Track-5, "Faithful," and track- 6, "Questions," both talks about being confused and weary, having questions, but still being willing to trust that God is faithful and praising His name.
Track-7, "Our God Is in Control," is a comforting song that talks about even though it doesn't feel like it sometimes that God is always in total control of the situation.
Track-8, "February 20th," is the one song on this release that can really give the entire Chapman family peace from the tragic event. The date February 20th is the day that Maria was saved when she invited Jesus into her life.
Tracks 9 & 10, "God Is It True (Trust Me)" and "I Will Trust You," both deal with giving your life over to God and trusting Him even when you don't totally understand why certain events are happening in your life.
Track-11, "Jesus Will Meet You There," talks about those times in your life when you think you're as low as you can go and something else happens in your life shaking it to the core. You can be assured knowing that Jesus will be there with you to pull you through it.
The last track, "Spring Is Coming," ends this release on an upbeat hopeful note, that like the 4 weather seasons and the new growth that happens when spring arrives, that life itself is much like that and the new hope that Jesus brings. The song also features nice background vocals provided by children.
This release is a must have for anyone that has experienced an unexpected death in their life or anyone that's facing real struggles in their life, and let's be honest that's all of us, at one time or another in our lives.
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