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Last year's "Unlearning," from Matt Brouwer, is more than just a collection of well-crafted rock songs delivered expressively. He slices open a vein for our edification.
I loved the solid, sensitive songs, offered always with both artistry and sincerity. But what stunned me was its honesty, its vulnerability. Matt Brouwer wrote the songs of “Unlearning” during a season of searching, and he holds nothing back from any listeners who may be enduring the same kinds of struggle. It is an act of generosity that I find hugely compelling and appealing. The fact that the music is equally excellent makes “Unlearning” a must-have record. Brouwer garnered national attention relatively quickly following the release of 2001’s “Imagerical,” after the disc became a worship favorite in churches across North America and earned him numerous awards and nominations. But much of the “success” it brought him raised questions that were not easily answered, some of them the kinds of questions being asked within the industry today. The aptly-titled “Unlearning” openly shares the spiritual and emotional wrestling that took place within the young singer/songwriter’s heart during that long season. These rockers are hook-rich and well-written, with muscular guitars balanced against subtle, sometimes delicate, electric noodling moments. Containing a quiet sense of hope, they bravely examine those moments of doubt, fear, and wonder that we all face, if we dare to look beneath the surface of the day’s frenetic pace. The honest and insightful “Surrender” contains these confrontational lines: “London, LA, Tokyo/ anywhere you want to go/ but you can’t escape yourself/ its deep inside where you regress/ you’re incomplete and fatherless/ there’s so much anchored bitterness that you hold/ let it go.” Yet the track would have to be described as encouraging in its message and its tone. Therein is the beautiful dichotomy of “Unlearning,” explaining, in its essence, its deep worthiness: it is true to life. The title track is nicely accented by Josh Grange’s pedal steel as it considers the truths lying below the surface of daily life. This track and several others (the sonic delights of “If You Stay” and truth-heavy “Why Can’t We Be Honest”) also includes free-flow jams on the way out, a feature that I enjoyed thoroughly. Brouwer digs in so deep in these musical gems of examination, that those free flow endings provide release, a visceral sense of exuberance, of healing. A moving song of great vulnerability, “Unfamiliar” expresses Brouwer’s yearning for the father he lost at an early age. It too is faith-filled, even in its deep loss. The superb Kendall Payne joins Brouwer for a rich cover of Sheryl Crow’s “I Shall Believe,” their voices blending movingly over sweet electric guitar tidbits. Brouwer throws himself in surrender at God’s feet on the well-crafted closer, “Redemption Hymn,” delivered with straightforward simplicity and passion. My only regret at the album’s end is that I had not found it sooner. But the good news is that Matt Brouwer is releasing “The B-Sides Recording, Volume 1” very soon. Look for the Suite review next week. If you enjoy thoughtful and unafraid worship music, check out Andrew Peterson's "The Far Country," also discovered late, or Sean Feucht's "Waiting."
The copyright of the article Matt Brouwer: Unlearning in Christian Music is owned by Kevan Breitinger. Permission to republish Matt Brouwer: Unlearning in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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