The Swift continues its focus on piano-driven vertical pop-rock on their upcoming Rocketown Records release, “Singing Back to You.” But they take it to the next level.
They've always performed well even in the flux of changes, ever since their self-titled debut in 2002, morphing band members as situations came up, keeping their focus on ministry first. The Swift's heart for the gospel is still front and center, and they have nailed down a winning combination of players now to move them forward. Keyboardist Britt Edwards retains the frontman position, sharing the songwriting duties with bassist Mike Simons, but the addition of new guitarist Matt Wilder and drummer Guy Lemon have been a shot in the arm, and The Swift's sound has solidified to a dynamic, more mature voice.
"Singing Back to You" offers moody soundscapes of deep worship, but is accessible enough to hold the attention of the thousands they serve at the many conferences and camps on their schedule, as well as on their opening tours with Mercy Me and Audio Adrenaline. The atmospheric "Love Song" opens, its guitars building a wall of worship enriched by programming nuances and straightforward vocals. The cumulative effect is felt in your soul, your vision guided upward. The tasty guitar touches of "Rain Down" lead in the same direction. Both longtime Swift members, Edwards and Simons, claim an intentional focus on worship when making "Singing Back to You." "We've been leading worship together for the last ten years, and we wanted to make a record that reflected that part of our ministry," says Simons. This motivation probably has much to do with the nicely mixed duality of the album, its mix of original and worship covers, its blend of accessibility and sonic creativity. Their edgy cover of "Nothing But the Blood" exemplifies this paradox beautifully, its pure vocals playing against the thick instrumentation. In the same way, they've added spacey production touches to Joel Houston's pop-rocker, "Salvation is Here," to interesting effect.
"Make You Known" is classic Swift, from Lemon's standout drums, to the sparkling guitar tid-bits, to its evangelistic heart-beat. Paul Baloche's "Your Name" starts quietly and moves through its melodic praise-chorus to a soaring finale of worship. The project moves deeper into worship as the tracks progress, scoring big on the lovely piano-driven "Always Been," its hooky chorus and moving lyrics packing a punch. Quiet ballad "At the Feet of Jesus" is a majestic and worshipful closer. The Swift's "Singing Back to You" will double as satisfying musical entertainment and valuable worship tool when it releases October 10.
