Reviews|August 16, 2013 07:59 EDT
Lisa Jackson "New Day" Album Review
Albums, for some artists, can be used as objects of vanity. They can be a platform for an artist to showcase his or her mettle as a song writer. Or they could be VIP cards used to announce the red carpeted list of celebrities who are willing to sing, produce or write with them. Yet, for others, an album is an ego-booster. They are conduits to show that the artist is able to be trending with the latest by incorporating the hippest rap lines or the most sultry beats. All of these are not true when it comes to Lisa Jackson. Jackson is essentially a worshipper of Jesus Christ. And her debut record "New Day" exists to resource the church in her worship of the Almighty God. Never a hint of ego or self, these 12 newly written cuts are centred around God informed by Holy Scripture. The essential ingredients of a great worship song are all present here: sing along memorable hooks, the poignant but succinct phrases, the use of repetition without becoming tediously cumbersome and the ministerial ad-libs by Jackson herself. And when you have an album brimming with the exaltation of Jesus Christ as its cynosure, you don't need any extra beeps, bells or whistle. There is a majestic beauty that will grab the average listener till we are lost in awe-inspiring and life-changing presence of the Holy Ghost.
Born in a Godly family where her dad was a pastor, Jackson has already been singing in church since she was 9 years-old. She and her seven brothers and sisters would be singing in the sanctuary choir before she embarked as a worship leader herself. Starting with singing backup for Jimmy Hill & Anointed Voices of Power, she later got to sing with Gospel legends such as Shirley Caesar as well as the Williams Brothers. "New Day" is Jackson's debut record, featuring 12 newly composed songs by Jackson herself with the production duties handled by Sharvis Whitted for Back2Worship Production. Jackson certainly knows how to make an entrance with album opener "I Am More than a Conqueror." Charging with an emblazon boldness rooted in the promises Romans8:37-39, Jackson assures us that we need not fret in the midst of tribulations and persecution. By the time the song tails towards the end, we too come out different endued with a new-found Spirit given confidence.
Fans of aforementioned Shirley Caesar and Cece Winan would adore "We Worship You." A neo-soul ballad that starts off with Jackson's clear but understatedly powerful vocals, the song slowly builds up to its climax backed with an explosive choir that is nothing short of soul-shattering. One of the highlights of this record is that the lyrics flourish with images emanating out of Scripture. "Never Thirst," draws its theme right out of the pervasive Biblical motif that Jesus is our living water. While Lamentations 3:22-23 is the seed thought behind the title cut "New Day." Jackson also shows that worship is not necessary all slow and dreary, she gives us some toe tapping fun with the Jamaican influenced "You Are Awesome." It's a challenge to keep your feet intact and your hands limpid when Jackson sings, "We bow before your throne/Worship you alone/Nobody like you/Nobody like you."
One of the tests for a good worship song is that it is able to bring us right into the throne room of God. "He Reigns" does exactly this. This song reminds us of Revelation 3 and 4 where the Apostle John was ushered into the presence of God; that awe, that power; that majesty that no vocabulary can describe is somehow captured in "He Reigns." And when you place God and His praises at the center of your record, the album sizzles with an unquenchable beauty.