Lexington Herald Leader Logo

Album review: Chris Tomlin | Lexington Herald Leader

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • All News
    • Business
    • Communities
    • Counties
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Lexington
    • Local
    • Most Wanted
    • Nation/World
    • News Photos
    • News Videos
    • Politics
    • Searchable Databases
    • State
    • Watchdog
    • Columns
    • Tom Eblen
    • All Sports
    • UK Sports
    • College Sports
    • Next Cats Recruiting
    • High School
    • Horses
    • Kentucky Speedway
    • Lexington Legends
    • Reds
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • NASCAR
    • NFL
    • Sports Photos
    • Sports Videos
    • Columns
    • John Clay's Columns
    • Mark Story
    • Next Cats Recruiting
    • All UK Sports
    • Next Cats Recruiting
    • Baseball
    • Basketball - Men
    • Basketball - Women
    • Recruiting
    • Ex-Cats
    • Football
    • UK Photos
    • UK Videos
    • More UK Sports
    • Columns
    • John Clay's Blog
    • Mark Story
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • All Entertainment
    • Books
    • Celebrities
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Events Calendar
    • Horoscopes
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Restaurants
    • Stage & Dance
    • TV
    • Visual Arts
    • Entertainment Photos
    • Entertainment Videos
    • News Blogs
    • Kentucky Weather
    • Photo Archive
    • Sports Blogs
    • John Clay's Blog
    • High School
    • UK Football
    • UK Men's Basketball
    • UK Women's Basketball
    • Lexington Legends
    • Entertainment Blogs
    • Walter Tunis on Music
    • All Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Joel Pett
    • Letters to the Editor
    • National Columnists
    • Op-Ed
    • Submit a Letter
    • All Living
    • Celebrations
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Fru-Gal: Deb Morris
    • Health & Medicine
    • Home & Garden
    • Paul Prather
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Readers' Choice
    • Kentucky Obituaries
    • Obituaries in the News
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Customer Service
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • E-edition
    • Page Reprints
    • Photo Reprints
    • RSS Feeds
    • Special Sections
    • Site Information
    • Advertise With Us
    • Archives
    • Mobile
    • Mobile Apps & eReaders
    • Newsletters
    • Social
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Google+
    • Today's Circulars
    • Classifieds
    • Jobs
    • Cars
    • Homes
    • Homeseller
    • Legal Notices
  • Place an Ad
  • Mobile & Apps

Religion

Album review: Chris Tomlin

By Rich Copley - rcopley@herald-leader.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

September 06, 2008 12:00 AM

Chris Tomlin

Hello Love | 3 stars out of 5

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Lexington Herald-Leader

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

I really wanted to love Chris Tomlin's new album.

Seriously, despite our curmudgeonly reputations, critics love to see or hear something great, and where should you expect that more than from someone who has already proven their greatness? Tomlin is ostensibly the voice of Christian music today, an artist responsible as much as anyone for merging the worlds of the church and contemporary Christian music. I have enjoyed his music and learned to play some of his songs, so it seemed like a good day when Hello Love arrived in the mail.

But after a few listens, it seemed as if someone needed to give Tomlin a little push.

This isn't a bad recording. There are a number of terrific songs here, including Sing, Sing, Sing and God of This City, which we heard earlier this year on the latest Passion CD, and a gorgeous new rendition of an old hymn, All the Way My Savior Leads Me. There's also Jesus Messiah, the hit single that preceded the album. It's all good.

It also sounds very familiar, a stringing of melody, chorus and vertical lyric that is starting to sound repetitive as praise and worship settles down from hot trend to establishment. Tomlin just seems a bit too comfortable as Tomlin, so while there are definitely some nice songs here, there's nothing as compelling as, say, How Great Is Our God or Made to Worship. Granted, no one writes a blockbuster every time, but it would feel a bit better hearing less compelling Tomlin if we were in turn finding some adventure, as we do in his fellow Texan and Passion artist David Crowder.

Unfortunately, Hello Love, even with its standout tracks, sounds a bit too much like the complacency that ails contemporary praise and worship.

  Comments  

Videos

77,500 people attend Billy Graham's 4-day Lexington crusade

Mother Teresa's 1982 visit to Eastern Kentucky

View More Video

Trending Stories

In ‘really good spirits,’ Kentucky’s Travis sets target date for return

February 21, 2019 05:51 PM

9 things Kentucky teachers should know about the educator-proposed pension plan

February 21, 2019 12:44 PM

‘Top Chef’ Kentucky’s Graham Elliot is in town and you’ll never guess where he ate.

February 21, 2019 12:14 PM

European basketball recruit offers another intriguing option for Kentucky next season

February 21, 2019 06:05 PM

Many Kentucky houseboat owners aren’t paying their taxes. This would make them.

February 21, 2019 10:04 AM

Read Next

Religion

At Pope Francis’ sex abuse summit, American cardinal offers plan for bishops to police each other

By JEREMY ROEBUCK The Philadelphia Inquirer

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 22, 2019 03:00 AM

VATICAN CITY – The lone U.S. bishop scheduled to address Pope Francis' global summit on clergy sex abuse on Friday called for members of the Roman Catholic hierarchy to police each other's behavior and offered the most concrete proposal yet for dealing with prelates who mishandle abuse allegations against priests or face claims of sexual misconduct themselves.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Lexington Herald-Leader

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE RELIGION

Religion

Diocese removes priests who championed gay rights from list of those accused of sexual abuse

February 22, 2019 03:00 AM

Religion

Pope Francis seeks solutions, victims skeptical as historic clergy sex-abuse summit opens in Rome

February 21, 2019 03:00 AM

Religion

Pope presents 21-point reform road map at Vatican anti-abuse summit

February 21, 2019 03:00 AM

Religion

Oakland diocese sat on secret of five priests’ abuse of kids for years

February 20, 2019 03:00 AM
If God ordained Trump as president, he must have ordained Obama, too

Paul Prather

If God ordained Trump as president, he must have ordained Obama, too

February 19, 2019 02:08 PM

Religion

Oakland diocese names 45 priests accused of sexual abuse

February 18, 2019 03:00 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Lexington Herald Leader App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Place a Classified Ad
  • Local Deals
  • Digital Solutions
  • Media Kit
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story