Music Review | “Faithful: Go and Speak” By Various Artists
When an all-star team of female worship leaders, songwriters and authors come together to produce a project that centers on telling the stories of God’s faithfulness in the lives of women, the result is sure to be nothing short of remarkable. That project, Faithful: Go and Speak, comes to us in a twelve-track album that releases alongside a book, livestream event and podcast.
Story-driven “A Woman” opens the record with the tender vocal pairing of Ellie Holcomb and Amy Grant, followed by Scripture-filled “At This Very Time” featuring Jess Ray, Sandra McCracken and Savannah Locke. Songs that celebrate the story of how God is at work in our lives, “You Came For Me” featuring Sarah MacIntosh, Leslie Jordan and Holcomb, “The Detour” featuring Locke, Sarah Kroger and Tamar Chipp, and “Impossible Things” featuring Kroger alongside Ginny Owens and Christy Nockles feel autobiographical in their nature while still allowing other listeners to find themselves in the narrative.
Upbeat “Holy Place” calls on the vocal stylings of Taylor Leonhardt, Amy Grant and Ginny Owens, much like “Rise Up” which features Christa Wells, Ray, Tamar Chipp, Nockles and Holcomb. “Call Upon Him” offers a choir-like feel with Trilla Newbell, Rachael Lampa and McCracken, while “Rahab’s Lullaby (God Above, God Below)” plays on the vocals of McCracken, MacIntosh and Lampa for an especially moving moment.
Kelly Minter offers her vocals to “This Time I Will Bring Praise” with the help of Jordan and Nockles for a declaration of God’s faithfulness: “You are always faithful, redeeming broken plans / so I lift up my eyes until my faith is sight.” “We Do Not Labor In Vain” again pulls from Scripture with the artistry of Wells, Leonhardt and Janice Gaines, and “We Are One” provides a moment of unity, both vocally and lyrically, with Owens, Grant, Wells, Minter, Chipp, Ray, Locke and Lampa all lifting a song in solidarity.
The songs on Faithful: Go and Speak would be stunning enough on their own, but when delivered by such brilliant vocalist combinations, this project is a home-run. A stellar artist lineup coincides with a beautiful album concept to create songs that meet their goal full-force, celebrating the faithfulness of God at work in the lives of women. An album not meant for passive listening, Faithful: Go and Speak is an immersive experience that speaks hope with every word.
