The Rising

Album Review

Like the David Crowder Band, Charlie Hall aims his songs at a younger Christian audience, one that’s been raised on the sounds of ‘90s grunge and contemporary rock. The Rising, with its radio-ready guitars and slick pop melodies, is no exception. This is an album that’s meant to appeal to an entire church-going generation, which means Hall bypasses any sort of musical experimentation in favor of keeping everything tuneful, pleasant, and fairly straightforward. Most of the songs are rousing, epic anthems — even ballads like “Deeper in Love” eventually build themselves up — which befits a record whose chief message is to spread and share the singer’s faith. Secular fans might not find anything new here, but those who listen to Christian music will probably pick out the intricacies that make Charlie Hall one of the scene’s leading artists.