Look back to our earlier review of Matt Papa, and you’ll see I fell, hard, for his infectious vertical music. Spin 360 fell too and is now releasing “You Are Good.”
"You are Good," releasing October 10, will be Spin 360's first record on their new label, and they couldn't have picked a stronger starter than Matt Papa. He will prove to be a major contributor in the field of worship music, and it is thrilling to watch his Scripture-oriented ministry find the opportunities and recognition it deserves.
Suite first reviewed his self-titled indie release this winter (See review here), and "You Are Good" contains those same songs plus two others, so this may sound repetitive, but it bears repeating. Papa's sound is remarkably spiritually-driven; a number of his songs are Scripture-saturated, and even the ones that aren't overtly Biblical are ardently expressive in their focus. The first half of the album is hook-rich guitar-driven worship, with an urgency to it that comes across as overwhelmingly infectious. I mean, Papa's worship is hard to resist; you find your feet tapping, your head bobbing, and your spirit spontaneously lifting heavenward. Beautifully arranged, his classical training and musicianship pays off in spades, the embellishments of the violin and programming touches gently enriching his full rock sound.
The album moves into a different level of adoration at the compelling "95," based on Psalm 95. I might have placed this after the new track, "Dancing Generation," a Passion-like mix of funk chords under rock-pop beats, because the following track goes back to piano-driven simplicity, Papa's pure vocals expressing powerfully the declarations of "In Christ Alone." His singing contains an eloquence that flows from his own sincere fervor; he is singing his heart, plain and simple, and therein lies his empowerment as a worship-leader. Case in point, the majestic and moving "My Portion Forever."
This is followed by the second new song, the edgy electric rocker "Your Love." Again, while it showcases Papa's astounding diversity, its exuberance is strangely sandwiched between two songs whose strength lies partially in their spiritual immediacy, the second being the simple and profound "I Surrender All." This track and the two following closing songs together form a passage of worship that, to my mind, contains seeds of the sacred. You might argue that this perspective is in the eye of the beholder, and in many cases that might be true. It is an indication of his supreme gifting that this statement holds up in his case. I will say it again: Matt Papa expresses beautifully the essence of the worshipping heart, and I believe God will use him to lead many others into a new experience of worship. Keep your eye on Matt Papa, offering up one of the year's best in "You Are Good."
