Daryl Wilson sends out his debut album, "Still Hallelujah," from Canada to the broken and defeated, the tired and the weary. His message of faith here will be welcome.
The overall tone of this album is very gentle. In light of his stated mission, you could read it as ministry-oriented. From his liner notes, Daryl shares, “the theme that flows through this album, that life is hard and faith can be elusive, yet God’s grace is so great that the song we can sing is still hallelujah.” And yes, this does come across well in these quiet and expressive songs. The energy level never really lifts off, and some listeners may find this a challenge. But if Wilson is writing for this particular target audience, this may not factor in so much.
Opener “To Your Name” is richly atmospheric with programming touches, leading nicely into the sonic stew that is “All Creation Bows Down.” Its soft vocals, looming bass line and techno tidbits don’t completely compensate for its lack of energy. A rocking track like this deserves more tempo.
That energy does show up beautifully on standout track “Praise You.” Opening to a pleasant mix of laughter and congas, the acoustic guitar leads into a mid-track breakout rap that pops nicely. It’s lively tight tone lifts the pace up wonderfully, and I’d like to see more of that on Wilson’s next foray.
But I’m not fixated on tempo. Wilson’s smooth vocals are right on point on “Grace Upon Grace,” and I enjoyed the acapella prayer of “Listen.” “Interlude” follows, its percolating richness creating a sense of the sacred. “Drawn to You” contains some sterling guitar moments, and the layered vocals give the melodic song a very lush feel. The trend of quiet ballads continues through the album’s end, “Rain” dripping with worship.
All in all, if Daryl Wilson has written “Still Hallelujah” to provide healing for the hurting, it would appear that he has succeeded in that intention.
