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2. Ruin Me
3. Glorious Day
4. Jesus Is Mine
5. Glory to your Name
6. Old Rugged Cross
7. So High
8. He Rose
9. I'm Movin' On
10. Home Jeff Johnson was an American Idol contestant during its fourth season. That should give us a little insight on his musical abilities - they should not be too shabby, to say the least. Jeff Johnson was (and is) a worship leader. That should give us a little insight on his musical influences - probably Biblical worship-pop, if I may venture a guess. If he can combine these two musical traits together, he will have created a worshipful heaven for all listeners to not only enjoy, but to worship with and participate in. Let's see if he did a good job.
On some choruses, Jeff seems to hit writer's block, and the culmination of energy and anticipation since the beginning of these songs suddenly halts when the mediocre tune of the chorus strikes. Such is the case with "Ruin Me," the first song I ever heard from Johnson. The chorus demonstrates my point, the notes not being any higher than the notes in the verses, leaving a sense of incompletion. The refrain of "Jesus is Mine" is also unexciting and feels clipped, making the track my least favorite on the album. More could have been done with "Glory of Your Name," but it isn't bad by any means - I just see more potential in it. And "So High" would have been one of my favorites on Glorious Day had it not been for the chorus, which needs more work; I absolutely love the verses and prechorus that are infinitely catchier than the chorus.
Then there are some songs that are right on point. In fact, "right on point" could easily describe most of the production on this album. All of the tracks feature the right arrangement of guitar, rhythm, piano, and harmonies to usher in a worshipful mood that these songs call for. "God Over Us" has intricate, layered harmonies, and it no doubt sounds like a song that could be sung in most worship services. When I saw the title "He Rose," I prepared for something cheesy, but the simple melody/harmony combination with sparse piano notes works well, accentuating a different aspect of Johnson's music that we have yet to hear on this disc. Then the call-and-answer in the second chorus - amazing. It's my favorite on the album. "Home" is another great track, and right from its introduction I knew it would be good; the production is very suitable for its soaring melody. A song that sounds like an exit song for a reality show, "I'm Movin' On," is once again genuine and believable. He's full of emotion, and I must reiterate that he sounds best when accompanied by a piano since his voice is too easily disguised behind guitars and drums. The song is musically interesting as well - the bridge reminiscent of the classic "Lean On Me" took me by surprise. The only misstep in production would be the harmonies in "Old Rugged Cross"... is he singing harmony for himself??
What I like about Johnson, apart from his resounding voice, is the fact that he's not afraid to put a little country influence in some of this songs. Just listen to "God Over Us" to get a sense of what I'm talking about. I also want to highlight "Glorious Day," a song about Jesus's life. Not only does it feature great harmonies once again, but the repetition of "one day," hand in hand with the title "glorious day," makes this one of the most artistic pieces on the album. It's poetic and it's no wonder the album was named after it.
At ten tracks, this disc needs to be stellar, but it misses the mark in some areas. Johnson shows a lot of flexibility, but I think more could be milked out - perhaps an occasional pop/rock song? That would certainly fit his vocals well. I appreciate the straightforward lyrics he writes ("through You all things are made," quoted directly from the Bible), yet more wingspan in creativity in songwriting would also be something to look forward to. With Glorious Day, Jeff Johnson's vocal delivery and production team are brilliant; from here he simply needs to refine the gems that he already has in his possession.
- Clem
Disclaimer: This review is based solely on the opinions of it's reviewer and is rated on how that reviewer enjoyed the content.
