10,000 Reasons

iTunes Review

Recorded live at the 2011 LIFT conference in Atlanta, 10,000 Reasonssustains Matt Redman’s track record as one of modern worship music’s most compelling exponents. The veteran singer/songwriter — who moved back to his native United Kingdom in 2010 — draws upon both his Brit-pop roots and American church music in these tunes, co-written with such CCM notables as Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram and Matt Maher. As before, Redman is adept at galloping praise anthems, stirring the crowd with such rousing numbers as “We Are the Free” and “We Could Change the World.” “Fires” takes a more acoustic approach to upbeat rock, but is no less stirring for its folk-slanted feel. The deeply reverent lyrics and ascending melodies of “Here for You,” “Never Once” and the title song beckon the faithful to worship with unaffected humility. Inspiring marches like “O This God” harken back to traditional hymnody. The album’s closing track “Endless Hallelujah” achieves a particular grace with its simple language and echoing piano line. 10,000 Reasons is classic Redman.