Collide Magazine

Review: Chris Tomlin's Hello Love

COLLIDE Staff - Originally posted Tuesday, September 2, 2008 -

What’s Cool: Currently the most sung Christian artist in the US, Chris Tomlin continues his CCM reign with his new release, Hello Love. Full of familiar Tomlin-style worship songs, as well as a few gems, this collection of tunes promises even more hits, as evidenced by the first single, “Jesus Messiah.”

Though the album features several standard worship songs, “You Lifted Me Out” and “God Almighty” are two tracks that stand above the rest. Other notable songs are the hymn-like “Praise the Father, Praise the Son,” the powerful “God of this City,” and the anthemic “My Deliverer.” With the help of Matt Redman, Cary Pierce, Matt Maher, and producer Ed Cash, Hello Love succeeds in updating Tomlin’s sound.

What’s Not: While Hello Love contains fresh new sounds, its attempt to emulate the success of Hillsong United and Leeland result in a more disjointed and less sincere album than previous releases. Also, the addition of a choir is a powerful effect on songs like “I Will Rise” and “Exalted,” but feels overdone by the time you get to the fifth choral-accented song.

Bottom Line: Hello Love provides a handful of new worship songs and hits for worship leaders and Tomlin fans alike, but still feels forced at times.

Our Rating:

Official Site: ChrisTomlin.com