what's in my iPod? - Fee Band: Hope Rising

Finally this series of posts is back! - What's in my iPod? It started HERE, but I have been so busy I haven't done it in MONTHS! (It's basically my reviews of new albums)
& I've skipped reviewing tons of great stuff like the latest from David Crowder Band, Matt Redman, Mute Math, Kings of Leon, Green Day, Hillsong United, Kristian Stanfill and tons of other awesome artists I just haven't had the time to write about.

But I've got to tell you about these jams that have been in my iPod since they released on Tuesday! As I said HERE Steve Fee is one of my favorite worship leaders these days! Just a few years ago he was just leading worship at North Point and now people are singing his songs all over the world! I reviewed another Fee CD in the What's in my iPod? segment HERE.

Hope Rising released from the Fee Band this Tuesday. It's awesome! I had the privilege of worshiping with Fee with about half of these songs before they released, so I knew I was gonna love these songs! They sound awesome and as always I LOVE Fee's lyrics!

My favorite joint has to be the one that is already sweeping the church that I first heard him lead just over 1 year ago at Catalyst 08 = Glory to God Forever. It is becoming one of my favs that we sing @ Ridge too. The chorus is so simple "Glory to God forever."
But my favorite part is definitely the bridge... something wells up in me every time I sing it! Something uncontrollable. It's passion in me. They are the perfect words I want to shout to God. It goes...
Take my life and let it be ALL FOR YOU and for Your glory
Take my life and let it be Yours.


My next favorite song (and very different sounding) is the jammin' Rise and Sing that I first heard in July at Big Stuf and posted about it HERE. It is rockin' fo sho! I love it!
Our God is risen and reigning and we're elevating
the glory of our God and King
so everybody rise and sing!
Whoooaaa whoaaa/ Whoaaaa whoaaa...

If you're alive and you've been redeemed
Rise and sing, rise and sing
If you've been touched by the Mercy King
Rise and sing, rise and sing

Let the redeemed of the Lord sing Hallelujah/ hallelujah!
Let the redeemed of the Lord sing Our God reigns/ Our God reigns!

Another of my favorite on the album was the song we opened our first ever Easter service with back in April - God is Alive. It was powerful that Sunday morning with an amazing video opener from North Point. (Fee has since added a Green Day-esque riff at the beginning that's pretty sweet.) The lyrics go like this:
Let the darkness flee/ it's got no power over me
I have been set free/ God is Alive!
Death where is your sting?/ Sin has got no hold on me
I am free indeed/ God is Alive! 
We've been redeemed, so rise and sing...
Everyone, glorify the risen Son
The Holy One has overcome
Jesus is alive
The enemy is broken underneath His feet
Death is crushed in vicotry
Jesus is alive/ Jesus is alive!

Let us wake and rise
Lift your voices lift your eyes
We're gonna shout we're gonna shake the skies
God is alive!
...The empty grave is singing now and shoutin' out
He is alive, He is alive and we are free!


The thing that each of these songs have in common is that they are SO easy to learn and sing. really catchy. perfect for worship sets at church...  
Even better than that is that these are the words desperately crying out from our hearts to God in worship!

Another song I already loved was one from another North Point worship leader, Eddie Kirkland = Hands of the Healer.
Glory to the King who gave His life
Glory to the Lamb of sacrifice
Beautiful and broken
Holiness and love
Glorious the wounded hands of God

Then you got stuff like the pimp "techno-like" Promised Land that Fee just led at Catalyst this past week. Pretty intense.

Steve himself said his favorite song on the album was the 5th track - Everything Falls. Goes with the whole theme of Hope Rising. It has a really cool sound... I can definitely see it being  they type song to be on all the Christian radio stations before long...I don't mean that to be a diss on the song, because it's really good. Just that kind of popular sound. chill. almost a little hint of an R&B feel.
When everything falls apart Your arms hold me together
When everything falls apart Your the only hope for this heart

When everything falls apart and my strength is gone
I find You mighty and strong
You keep holding on...
*It's a great song.

 I love Send Me Out not so much because of the sound, but because it resonates with my heart:
"Send me out to the world to make You known...
I wanna be Your hands and feet
I wanna be Your voice every time I speak
I wanna run to the ones in need in the name of Jesus
I wanna give my life away all for Your kingdom's sake
Shine a light in the darkest place in the name of Jesus


A couple other new ones that are good are Greatly to be Praised and We Crown You.
I love this 2nd one. There is a girl singing with Steve & it goes:
"King of Kings and God of Praise (We Crown You, We crown You)

Our Redeemer strong to save (We crown You, We crown You)
High and holy lifted up, there is none more worthy Lord
We crown You Lord of all."

& Greatly to be Praised
Who is like You, none compare
There's no one like our God!

Great and greatly to be praised
Name above all other names
Powerful and strong to save
Hallelujah OUR GOD REIGNS!


The other tracks are good too. I just highlighted some of my favorite stuff.

Everything about the CD is awesome... I only wish Steve would have put his "chorus" on here that he has led a lot in the past year or so... He seems to add it into Hillsong United's The Stand. It's an amazing chorus. So awesome and goes like this:
There is no one higher, no one greater 
No one like our God
There is none more able, Christ our Savior
Great and glorious


I love that over and over. Maybe he'll put it together into a whole song some time later.

Steve Fee has such an awesome heart to lead us all in worship. God's hand is on him in writing these awesome songs for the Church! This CD will be in my iPod for a LONG time!
You should buy it HERE 

How about YOU? What are your thoughts on Steve Fee and this CD?